Archive: News
This seven lot subdivision proposal at 28491 Dewdney Trunk [RZ/083/06] is part of the watershed of Whonnock Creek and the District of Maple Ridge have taken steps to protect Whonnock Creek and by connection Whonnock Lake. These steps include expropriation procedures of lands and the construction of a dyking system so that water levels of Whonnock Lake are maintained.
I do understand that the application reflects some of the OCP guidelines and has included some positive steps for “Rain Water Management”.
What we know!
The seven proposed lots would need the following:
- Seven Wells. Each well should produce at least 600 gals per day
- Seven Impervious surfaces. The housing foot print of the proposed homes will be 2500-3500 sq ft for a total of approx 15000 - 22000 sq ft of impervious surface.
And then we have an impervious street surface of approx 9000 sq. ft. Total impervious surface approx 31000 Sq ft which is approx 3/4 of an acre. What steps have been taken to reduce this impervious area? These days you can use pervious ashphalt, brick walkways and patios and rain garden surfaces for rain run-off.
What we don’t know
- What is the dollar amount of the security as part of the Watercourse Protection Development Permit [required to ensure that the Development Permit Guidelines are met]. For large-scale applications the environmental security deposit is 2.5 % of the total construction costs, while smaller projects the deposit is $1500 … so how much money?
- Is there a Tree Inventory prepared by a certified arborist:
- so the District can clearly determine areas that the developer has suggested as being “limits of clearing?” and
- so that the vegetative / tree health in the proposed conservation zone be determined and ensure that this area is not a future liability to the District. We need to insist that these conservation areas are healthy!
- The Historic Base Line flow levels for this part of Whonnock Creek to ensure that downstream water flows reflect pre-development flows. Note Sec 8.9 of the Official Community Plan states that pre-development flow regimes are to be maintained. Accurate data for the base flows [low flows] as well as reducing high flows is required so that there isn’t any disruption to the integrity of the watercourse and the living and movement of aquatic life. Note the photo of beaver lodge and dam below!
- The soil stratigraphy and the ability of the soil to retain water or not. This soil report is required in other districts, particularly when a watercourse is involved. [Coquitlam]
- What are the proposals for the re-vegetation of the drain-off areas for each building site and for each of the impervious driveway areas.
What we do know:
In the Executive Summary of this application the Engineering Department stated that, The lands to the east were recently subdivided and built on. These lands were subdivided over 15 years ago and since that time a higher level of awareness of sustainability is now reflected in the Official Community Plan.
The District had to extend the water system eastward to the Garibaldi St and McNutt subdivision due to a failure in a private water system [yes each home owner had a property assessment to cover these costs] However, at this site there is the BCIT woodlot between it and Garibaldi St [the distance is approx 2 kms.] so if a well water failure occurs in the future will this subdivision be a capital project paid for by the general public?
A significant number of residential homes located on these rural locations have suites [Whispering Falls, Rock Ridge] - due to the basic economics of affordability!
- Suites whether registered or not will increase demand on well water and septic systems so a Ground Water Impact Assessment Report should be required as all homes south of this lot are also on a well systems.
There is no provision for the densification of the tree and vegetation cover even though there is a housing densification.
The District should have a “Wildlife Habitat Assessment Report” as there is evidence of beaver activity in the South Eastern area of this property.
Beaver lodge in top center of photo taken 13 February 2008. Photo credit: © 2008 Ken Hemminger
If the District of Maple Ridge wants to protect Whonnock Creek and by extension Whonnock Lake we need to have more information for an educated decision on this subdivision application.
Morse Creek is one of the few remaining “Uptown” Creeks in Maple Ridge and forms a major component of the north slope watershed as it flows towards the south Alouette River.
Morse Creek on 11 July 2006, 10 days after the infraction at the source of the dispute. Photo: © Ken Hemminger
I applaud the District of Maple Ridge and particularly the Staff, in their successful position they took to protect a watershed in the Smart Growth Area of Maple Ridge.
If someone wanted to know how much soil was moved by the owner of this property on July 1 2006, you just have to just look at the trees!
A positive step to environmental sustainabilty, an example to all.
In case you’re living outside of southwestern British Columbia, you should know that it has rained pretty much every day for the past month. In addition to contributing to a growing number of SAD cases in Maple Ridge, the inclement weather has made for some trying times for local builders and developers. Given that it’s extremely difficult to control storm water on land without a lot of water retention properties, builders who work in conditions like these can cause significant damage to the environment. Mixed with the runoff from the heavy rains, topsoil, fill, and sand contributes to increased siltation levels, something that has an adverse effect on fish populations and the water quality in local creeks and rivers.
Last week, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans stepped in and told a number of local developers and construction companies to come up with sound storm water management solutions within seven days. According to the Maple Ridge News,
The guidelines the department [the DFO] follows when an area is under construction requires that total suspended solids be no more than 25 milligrams per litre of water above the levels that preceded construction.
Maple Ridge, however, allows levels to be 75 milligrams per litre on rainy days, something [DFO biologist Bruce] Clark challenges.
“If 25 [mg of solids per litre] is a problem for fish, why would 75 mg be acceptable?”
Is this recent flurry of DFO activity a sign of things to come? Or will things go back to the way they were when the rains subside? Only time will tell, but this latest news is certainly a signal that it’s time for the District of Maple Ridge to get serious about controlling water runoff and siltation levels in new developments and subdivisions.
The District of Maple Ridge has hired Rod Stott as the community’s environmental planner. According to a press release issued by the District (.pdf), the new planner is responsible for ‘issues related to environmental management and protection’. As part of his job, Stott is expected to review development proposals and consultant studies, recommend bylaw amendments, and act as a liason between the District and environmental groups.
About Rod Stott
Educated at Queen’s University and numerous other colleges, Stott has worked for the District of Maple Ridge in the past. His GPS work was a key component of the Stream Mapping and Inventory Project — a project that netted the community a Environmental Sustainability Award from the Canadian Administrative Management Association. The project allowed for the mapping of over 450 kilometers of streams, information that is now accessible on CD-ROM.
In 2004, the city planners in the Ontario town of Stratford committed themselves to the development of an urban plan that fused traditional grid-based models of development with more recent models of suburban planning. The planners hope that their efforts foster a sense of community while giving people the chance to walk places (instead of driving).
According to a writeup in Canadian Geographic,
The fused grid, in the words of CMHC senior researcher Fanis Grammenos, “recaptures open space from the car” and hands it back to pedestrians. Studies confirm the obvious: people who regularly encounter one another on the sidewalk are likelier to meet and talk. And having been introduced by the canny efforts of urban planners, they are on their way to forging new neighbourly relationships.
Culs-de-sac, parks and walkways can be configured in virtually limitless ways. But, in each case, the purpose remains the same. By transforming some of the paved-over land into green space, the fused grid does more than control traffic and encourage walking. Views are enhanced, more ground becomes available to absorb rainfall, and more vegetation takes up more carbon dioxide.
Surely this sort of idea can be used by city planners across North America and the ideas, should they come to fruition, will make for a more compact community, one that encourages commerce and fosters community building, while reducing unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions caused by commutes between out-of-the-way developments and major retail centres.
The Georgia Straight posted an in-depth article discussing the public private partnership (P3) that is the Golden Ears Bridge. With an estimated completion date of 2009, the Fraser River crossing between Langley and Maple Ridge had a projected budget of around $600 million. Financed by paid crossings (ie. tolls), the bridge is expected to relieve traffic congestion around the Lower Mainland.
Unfortunately for those involved, it’s already acknowledged that the bridge plan will cost at least $800 million. According to the article, P3 projects rarely place enough risk on the private partner, leaving the public to pick up the slack where the private partner won’t. There’s some focus on the failed town core deal that was quashed when Maple Ridge’s current mayor, Gordon Robson, won a BC court decision to overturn an agreement that was deemed illegal:
New Maple Ridge Mayor Gordon Robson has misgivings about P3s. In 2002, Robson won a lawsuit against the District of Maple Ridge in the B.C. Court of Appeal, which ruled that the P3 agreements the district had signed for the redevelopment of its downtown core were illegal.
Contacted before the November civic election, Robson admitted he was unfamiliar with the Golden Ears Bridge deal. However, he said the fact that it’s a P3 makes him nervous. “If it’s just a way to build more debt without making the public conscious or aware or getting permission, that’s not a good thing,” he told the Straight.
One argument in favour of P3s is that they transfer risk by making the private partner liable for cost overruns. Robson said he doubted any private company would sign a P3 contract if it knew there was a chance it could lose money. “They would either stop construction or they’d renegotiate the deal,” claimed Robson, who worked with Bill Bennett’s Socred administration during the 1980s. “Every time I’ve watched a government get in business, it’s been a disaster.”
So where does this put us, as a community? Should people be up in arms about the P3 deal for the Golden Ears Bridge? Or is it something that isn’t such a big deal? Feel free to discuss below.
This post is the first entry for a new category: The Wednesday Roundup. Every week, I’ll post up some links and commentary to some of the stories that caught my eye during the previous week.
In Ottawa, the minority Liberal government was finally brought to its knees by a coaltion made up of the Conservatives, the Bloc Quebecois, and the NDP. This action sets up a holiday-season election campaign with Canadians heading to the polls on 23 January. Expect an unpleasant campaign to take away from some of the excitement and optimism surrounding the holidays and the new year.
The most disturbing news story of the week comes from TheTyee, which revealed that the BC Liberals are considering a proposal that allows toxic waste to be converted to agricultural fertilizer. What’s especially interesting is that the cut-off for public consultation is 30 November. That’s right: today. The government failed to annouce the public consultation period on its website, and did little to raise awareness during the week following its ill-conceived plan to raise MLA salaries by 15%-30%. Opponents of the proposal claim that adequate testing has not been performed by a neutral third party; proponents claim their science is good and British Columbians should embrace the technology.
The final results for the 2005 Maple Ridge civic election have been tallied. Gord Robson easily outdistanced his rivals and comes to council with a strong view about development and the economic future of this area.
Full election results (Maple Ridge)
- Mayor
- Gord Robson (6,990 votes)
- Kathy Morse (3,680)
- Bill Hartley (3,558)
- William Perry (99)
- Maple Ridge Council
- Ernie Daykin (6,983 votes)
- Ken Stewart (6,164)
- Judy Dueck (5,802)
- Al Hogarth (5,406)
- Craig Speirs (4,682)
- Linda King (4,618)
- Candace Gordon (4,321)
- Faye Isaac (4,054)
- Jon Harris (3,961)
- Simon Challenger (3,924)
- Trustee
- Cheryl Ashlie (6,884 votes)
- Kathy Marshall (6,527)
- Dave Rempel (6,430)
- Stepan Vdovine (5,425)
- Rick Butler (4,599)
- Chris Luke (4,222)
- Albert Pasquolotto (4,050)
- Jack Emberly (3,792)
Names highlighted in bold text indicate that the individual was declared elected.
Source : District of Maple Ridge
The Tyee has a good article on some of the difficulties facing individuals and organizations involved in sustainability related issues. By and large, the article is on the money — advocates for sustainable living and the concept of 'Smart Growth' need to make the whole matter more accessible to the larger public.
The article raises some important ideas that a sustainability movement faces as it moves into the mainstream:
- Many environmentalists communicate in ways that are out of touch with the present.
- Many of the spokespersons for sustainability can't relate to their audience.
- Many people are simply unaware of the issues surrounding sustainability and aren't especially interested in the current state of the debate.
So the big question is: How do we change public perception of the sustainability / smart growth movement? For me, there are a couple of ways to change people's thoughts on the subject.
First, people need to realize that today's sustainability and smart growth advocates are not necessarily yesterday's 'greens', out to protect the Squirrel Nation from development. Instead, we're out to ensure that developers, municipal and city councils, and environmental consultants do their jobs properly and follow the guidelines and bylaws that are created in public forums. We need to lead not only with words but by example, to show people how they can contribute and how activism can make a difference.
Secondly, the sustainability movement needs to gain credibility within the mainstream media. The only way that credibility can be created is by developing smart, effective campaigns that show advocates are educated, smart, dedicated to their cause, AND have the support of a larger network of like-minded individuals. It always surprises me how many like-minded environmental groups fail to communicate effectively amongst themselves.
However, I can see things coming together. Positions on sustainability are central planks for many politicians in upcoming civic and municipal elections and, in many areas, there will be a significant smart growth contingent on council. If these politicians begin to work with environmental activists in a constructive fashion, I can see that the 'cause' will be introduced to the public in a positive way.
Issues relating to sustainability are exciting and they really don't need a whole lot of 'sexing up'. Instead, what these issues need is a group of leaders who can relate to their audience, explain their position effectively, and show people how they can make a difference doing little things every day.
We all know that suburban sprawl has a huge effect on the way people interact with the land that they live on. Sceptics need to look no further than Mary Hill or Panorama Ridge in Coquitlam to see what happens to a landscape when houses are built on forested hillsides.
However, sometimes it's hard to understand how far reaching the issue of sprawl is for communities across North America. In California, the 'burbs have been encroaching on usable open space at the periphery of of established communities for some time. For example, check out this intriguing panoramic vista of suburban development in San Ramon and decide for yourself if this sort of thing makes sense for the long term livability of the community's citizens.
