Jennifer O’Rourke and Joanne Jonas-McRae
Letter to the Editor
Before development of Linley Valley West in 2008.
The city’s Official Community Plan’s environmental protection objective includes the goal of “maintaining water quality in, and the basic ecological functions of, watersheds so they can continue to support fish and wildlife populations.” Moreover, its website says the city embraces sustainability: “Simply put, living a sustainable lifestyle means living without exhausting any resources. While this certainly has environmental implications, it also applies to finances, health, and the social well-being of the person, family, and community. To live a sustainable life means to leave the world in a better state for your children and grandchildren; reduce the amount of energy you use; reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions you produce; save money by making better choices; and save the environment by making better choices.”
After development of Linley Valley West in 2008.
However, the reality on the ground is the city is giving its approval to a low-density, single use, automobile-dependent development in the middle of the last significant unprotected wetland and habitat complex in the city. This doesn’t add up. Save Linley Valley West (SLVW) is holding a public meeting on Wednesday, September 18 to inform the public and build support for challenging the 353-home development in Linley Valley West recently approved by City of Nanaimo staff. The meeting starts at 7pm at the Kin Hut, 2730 Departure Bay Rd.
Over 6000 people have signed petitions to protect Linley Valley West’s 300 acres of woodlands and wetlands. During the past two years, SLVW addressed Nanaimo council five times to present evidence of the impact of a housing development on the ecology of all of Linley Valley, including the publicly owned Cottle Lake Park and District Lot 56 in the eastern side of the valley. On February 27, 2012, council voted almost unanimously to consider ways of acquiring Linley West lands, then reversed that decision in a vote at the next public council meeting with no discussion. IT’S TIME FOR ACTION!
Water mains planned to serve the new subdivision at 5701 Vanderneuk—the subdivision approval area is in yellow, but the watermains extend beyond this area into three adjacent properties that are not zoned for residential development.
For more information, please contact Jennifer O’Rourke at 250-756-1845, or Joanne Jonas-McRae at 250-618-1880 or kitano@shaw.ca.