MAPLE RIDGE/PITT MEADOWS/MISSION (NEWS 1130) – Suburbs along the Lougheed corridor are dealing with growth, cannabis legislation and homelessness.
MAPLE RIDGE
While Maple Ridge, like other cities, struggles with providing parks, recreational facilities and other services with limited dollars, it is the city’s homeless camp that continues to grab headlines.
What’s been dubbed Anita’s Place is home to about 65 people.
Two years ago, the province had plans to place the homeless in an old motel on Lougheed Highway. But in March of that year, 700 protesters showed up to say it wasn’t going to be accompanied by the appropriate services.
A proposal for supportive housing at 21375 Lougheed Highway was met with opposition by the business community and it was quashed in December 2016.
In May, a possible site for temporary modular housing on Burnett St. was rejected by council.
In June, another site had been chosen, at Royal Crescent, but it too is being met with opposition. That site should be ready by mid-October.
Outgoing mayor Linda Read says the issue for the new council will be whether the city will be able to remove the campers once the new modular housing is ready.
“We are turning into a bit of a test case legally for homeless camps in the province. It’s too bad because we had some real struggles in terms of the delivery of services promised by government,” she says.
Read went public last year about threats made to her over the homeless issue, and she says the election has brought out more unpleasant comments.
“It’s getting nasty. It’s getting really nasty. At points, it’s been really ugly. I’m seeing disparaging remarks directed to me – even now.”
According to the 2017 count, 124 were homeless in the Ridge Meadows area.
She says the other challenge for the incoming council will be to deliver parks and facilities, specifically what she considers a badly-needed pool. She believes youth mental health is also something the new team should be paying attention to.
Click here to find the candidates vying for the mayor’s seat, six council spots, and five school trustee positions.
PITT MEADOWS
A divisive issue is whether to go ahead with the Golden Ears Business Park. Many on council have voted against it, and surveys show hundreds of people are also opposed.
Mayor John Becker, who is running again, says another concern is agricultural land being used for pot growing.
“There are 17 greenhouses in Pitt Meadows that could be converted to cannabis growing facilities. If the wind is blowing the wrong way, our town core could be almost uninhabitable with the smell of cannabis.”
An emerging matter in Pitt Meadows is Becker himself – who is being investigated by the Law Society of BC on claims he mishandled funds in his day job as a lawyer.
He says another lawyer and an accountant are responding to those complaints while he campaigns.
Click here to find the candidates vying for the mayor’s seat, six council spots, and two school trustee positions.
MISSION
The growing community has many proposed developments on the table. In September, hundreds turned out to voice their concerns about rezoning which requires a change to the Official Community Plan (OCP) in Silverdale.
Polygon Home is proposing is new subdivision of 66 residential compact lots and 160 multi-family units for Nelson Street.
Here are just some of the comments directed at city councillor and staff at the public hearing:
“I really think you have to go back to the drawing board.”
“We are going from rural to multi-family – I feel tricked. I feel deceived by this.”
“It takes longer to get approval to build a garage on your property than it takes to rip up the OCP.”
Also pending is approval of a new seniors centre at Grand St. and a mixed-use development at Hillcrest and Lougheed Highway, which could bring 131 apartments into that area. A casino is also part of the proposal. Chances in Mission is looking at relocating onto the site, but that would be up to BC Lottery Corporation to approve.
And much like its Lower Mainland counterparts, the city is having to deal with homelessness. Last year, Mayor Randy Hawes characterized the problem as a ‘real crisis,’ saying there aren’t enough resources to address housing affordability and addiction issues.
Click here to find the candidates vying for the mayor’s seat, six council spots, and four school trustee positions
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