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LETTER: I guess Surrey’s mayor forgot important points about Hawthorne Park

The letter from Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner is not only “mis-information,” it conveys an inaccurate city master plan for Hawthorne Rotary Park.
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Hawthorne Park is the site of a controversial road plan in Surrey.

The Editor,

Re: “Letter from Surrey mayor: Misinformation about Hawthorne Park road plans,” the Now-Leader.

The letter from Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner is not only “mis-information,” it conveys an inaccurate city master plan for Hawthorne Rotary Park.

The city gave three readings to Bylaw 19337 on July 24th to remove six reserved lots within Hawthorne Park, because under the Community Charter (Chapter 26 section 86), the city can only remove reserved property from parks by referendum.

To ensure the city’s master plan succeeds, the city – in its usual Herculean and Draconian manner – set the bar so high, that to defeat the city’s master plan, some 30,372 electors must file their objections by 4 pm. on Sept. 22nd, or by assent (acquiescence) the city can proceed with the bylaw and their destructive plans for Hawthorne Rotary Park.

Furthermore, the mayor does not mention the master plan encompasses the relocation of all the underground services along 104th Avenue through the wetlands in Hawthorne Park., meaning the destruction of the wetlands and the source of the Bon Accord Creek.

Further, the mayor does not mention the urgency to push the city’s master plan forward, as the relocation of these underground services is due to the LRT between Guildford to Newton which is planned to run along 104th Avenue.

Further, the mayor also fails to mention the millions of dollars the federal government is offering to upgrade the water mains to the Whalley Reservoir Park (adjourning Hawthorne Park) as part of an overall GVRD Master Plan.

These federal dollars must “be spent” by Dec. 31st 2017. The mayor did not discuss the traffic volumes projected to swamp the proposed 105 Avenue Connector as it passes through Hawthorne Park (they do not have any volume projections).

The mayor did not mention the increased air pollution these vehicles will spew into Hawthorne Park and the into the vicinity of immediate residents on the east and west sides of Hawthorne Park.

The mayor did not mention this master plan is in direct conflict with the official community plan, ecosystems and biodiversity policies and the preservations of dedicated and reserved parks.

I guess the mayor forgot.

Richard Landale, Surrey

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(Photo: Surrey.ca)