Editor:
Re: Council clashes with Metro over land-use decisions, Nov. 25
I must share my concerns over comments made by the mayor and Surrey councillors.
The undertone was that Safe Surrey councillors think that Surrey is theirs to do with as they wish and have forgotten that they are elected officials representing taxpayers and have a duty to “provide good governance to their community.”
It is disturbing to hear councillors saying, “talking to me about my land use.”
It is not the current councillors’ personal land, they are only in place to govern it temporarily.
Even more disturbing is the mayor saying, “there is no place for Metro to be involved.”
Doug McCallum must think we all have very short memories. Let’s roll back to 2018 when he was campaigning against a proponent of developing South Campbell Heights/Hazelmere and called it “dumb development,” also “finally Metro had to step in, and they stopped it as it was outside of Surrey’s Planning”
So, in 2018 he lauded Metro stepping in, he now says “Metro has stepped over the red line.”
We keep hearing promises made, promises kept, except South Campbell Heights was a promise made and is now a promise broken. McCallum previously said he “supported Metro’s decision” to uphold the Urban Containment Boundary regarding South Campbell Heights and that his “position would not change.”
Mayor and council have made a great deal about not flip-flopping and being accountable to voters. But we now have the mayor and council on record as having the exact opposite opinions about South Campbell Heights and Metro’s involvement in Surrey, before and after being elected.
Hazelmere residents are concerned about more flooding from adding volume to the poorly designed drainage at the existing industrial park (yes, it all flows into the Little Campbell River).
Supporters of saving the natural heritage area and the Little Campbell River are grateful that the Urban Containment Boundary exists as a safeguard against sprawl, which would occur during a few years of a pro- development council. We have just been hearing at the climate change summit in Glasgow how important it is to save natural space and forest and I am happy to have more forward-thinking councillors and mayors from around the region as a backstop for unnecessary development in areas such as Hazelmere.
Thank you, Metro, for stepping in last time – but you need to do it again, please.
Sarah Rush, Hazelmere