Editor:
Re: Developer of Lady Alexandra taking the City of White Rock to court, May 22.
Under the former council, developers had a field day with the approval of an inordinate number of new highrises, even though this small community was simply not ready for such aggressive and exponential growth.
Many residents spoke against these decisions yet, time and time again, their voices, petitions and evidence were dismissed. As a new resident, I was shocked to sit in meetings where most of the locals spoke against the proposals, yet saw the approvals go ahead regardless.
Interestingly, the majority of proponents came from out of town. Take a look at feedback submitted during the last consultation. Many letters are from real-estate firms, developers and residents outside of White Rock. The developers of Alexandra were present at these sessions and were very well aware of what was going on.
As someone who has managed large-scale national infrastructure programs, I can tell you this should have been a key consideration in the developer’s risk-management registry. This court action by the developer attests to either poor project management or is a bully tactic to twist the new city council’s arms.
We finally have a council that is demonstrating greater transparency and engagement and speaks for the majority of White Rock’s residents. This legal action is a slap in the face of all of us.
T. Herath, White Rock