White Rock residents who are opposed to a proposed 12-storey development on Vidal Street are rallying to ensure their arguments come through loud and clear when a public hearing rolls around.
“I think the residents around this whole area have a lot to say,” said Lillian Zubor, who lives across the street from the proposed development. “I’m hoping to see a lot of people at this meeting.”
The proposal in question is a project consisting of 12 townhomes and 97 apartment units at 1467 to 1519 Vidal St.
Zubor hopes others with concerns about it will come to 1391 Johnston Rd. at 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday) to discuss how best to sway council against voting it forward.
Council voted 4-2 on March 25 to send it to public hearing, a date for which has yet to be confirmed. Coun. Al Campbell and Mayor Wayne Baldwin opposed the move; Coun. Helen Fathers, who had voiced opposition to the project at the March 11 land-use committee meeting, was absent.
City staff at the land-use meeting had recommended rejecting the project, based on concerns with the proposed heights and densities for the area, the loss of mature trees that would result, the potential for traffic increase and the necessary relocation of a dedicated city-owned pathway.
Zubor said last week she is “a little disgruntled” about the plan. She cited an increase in traffic and a lack of infrastructure as among key reasons she does not want it to go ahead. She noted she did not attend an earlier information meeting on the project because she didn’t realize exactly what was on the table.
“Not in my wildest dreams did I think they were going to put up a 12-storey building,” she said. “When I heard from my neighbours what was happening, that’s when I started to pay attention.
“If I wanted to live in highrises, I would’ve bought in Metrotown.”
Zubor said she has distributed flyers regarding Thursday’s meeting throughout her neighbourhood, and encouraged anyone who wants to add their voice to the issue to attend.
“If you don’t react on it, they may just get away with it,” she said. “I don’t want that to happen. I want people to be aware – this is what we’re going to be stuck with.”
Zubor assured that despite the location – the campaign office of Surrey-White Rock NDP candidate Susan Keeping – the meeting is not affiliated with anything political.