It's 5 Things Friday!

This is a serious post.  Seriously.

There is a developer wishing to build a 64-unit multi-family housing complex in our neighborhood, right around the corner from our house, and right-smack-next-to my kids' school.  I am so against this idea for so many reasons, but I took five from the letter I'm sending to the City and to the Developer, for today's post...

FIVE REASONS WHY THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS A TOTALLY SUCKY IDEA.
 

1.       Traffic.

·         Van Horne Drive is a very busy street to begin with.  Try driving through the area between 8am and 9am; noon until 1pm; and again from 2pm until 3pm (or later) on any given school day.  Aberdeen Elementary is not only a community school, but it is also a school of choice (Montessori) which means people from all over the city come to this school, and they have no choice but to drive to get there.  The school principal spends each morning and afternoon standing on the edge of the school property, trying to ensure that traffic is moving properly and that people are not illegally parked.  City bylaws officials have also been out on many occasions to police the traffic issues that are present on this street on a daily basis.  Additionally, to only have one way in and out, from a development of 64 units, is absolutely inadequate.  We would like the City to explain how they plan on policing this already high-traffic area on a regular basis, to ensure the least amount of inconvenience and the maximum amount of safety of neighborhood residents and nearby students and their families.

2.       Parking.

·         One only needs to take a quick trip down Dunrobin Drive in upper Aberdeen, during any time of the day or night, to see the effects that multi-family units have on the street – it is constantly lined, almost bumper-to-bumper, with parked cars.  It is unsafe for pedestrians and an inconvenience for homeowners.  Adequate parking, in our opinion, is NOT being provided by the developer of 2171 Van Horne Drive, which will mean that Van Horne Drive will likely be filled with extra vehicles (both owners and visitors) that do not have room to park near their units.  This is unsightly, a danger to the many children who attend the school and utilize its playground and fields, and an inconvenience to community groups who use the school on a regular basis, as well as to parents who have no choice but to drive their children to and from school every day.  We would like to see solid proof that there will be enough parking spaces within the development for a minimum of 2 cars per unit, as well as a minimum of 64 additional spaces for visitors and recreational vehicles.  We would also like the City to explain how they plan on enforcing no-parking areas on Van Horne drive, and exactly what they plan to do about it when congestion becomes out of control.

3.       Aberdeen Elementary School.

·         As mentioned, it is not only a community school, but also a school of choice, as Aberdeen Elementary houses the only Montessori program for Grades K-6 in Kamloops.  The school is not too far away from being at full capacity.  64 extra units could very easily mean a significant number of children needing a school to attend.  The defense given by the developer during January’s open house, that these units would not be marketed to families, is absolutely ludicrous.  With housing prices what they are, I am sure there are young families who would be interested in purchasing a more affordable townhome, and their catchment school at some point could end up overflowing.  In addition to being an Elementary school, Aberdeen Elementary is home to a Montessori preschool program and the Rainbow Preschool program, both of which have children attending several days a week at varying times of day; and the community room at the school is used on a regular basis after hours by several different community groups.

4.       Rentals, and our property values.

·         We are not interested in having what could easily turn out to be 64 rental units right next to our kids’ school, and in a neighborhood that, frankly, we paid a premium to live in based on the price of our home.  The defense from the developer at January’s open house was that these units would be owner-occupied, which is a ridiculous statement.  Unless the developer plans on forever running the Stratas themselves, and ensures that the rules are in place before buyers purchase the units to avoid grandfathering, they certainly cannot promise that and therefore it is irresponsible for such a statement to have been made in the first place.

5.       Groundwater.

·         I am not a scientist, and I don’t claim this as my area of expertise by any means.  However, I have been a resident of Aberdeen for nearly 30 years, beginning when I was in Kindergarten and now with a family of my own.  I am very aware of the groundwater issues that have plagued this neighborhood for many years, and building on this site, which borders on several existing streets, could present problems for nearby homeowners.  We would like to know how the city will compensate those who are put out by the issues that will surely happen at some point..


*IF YOU AGREE WITH ANY OF THIS AND LIVE IN ABERDEEN, PLEASE ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 15, 7PM AT THE KAMLOOPS CONVENTION CENTER.  I WILL ALSO PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF THE PETITION IF YOU'D LIKE, JUST CONTACT ME.