The following letter was sent to Gibsons mayor and council and copied to Coast Reporter.
I do not support the Gospel Rock neighbourhood plan in its present form. Please make this letter part of the official public process and the public record.
Here is a link that summarizes, on one level only, what is wrong with the plan:
http://friendsofgospelrock.ca/index.php/neighbourhood-plan-updates/item/37-whats-wrong-with-the-neighbourhood-plan?
Most notably: The plan shows no benefits for the majorityof area landowners, taxpayers or residents of Gibsons and Elphinstone.
The plan is blatantly imbalanced between neighbourhood area landowners.Three landowners have been given substantial up-zoning (quadrupled density) while others were brought into the plan area after the fact and against their will. The Block 6 and 7 landowners have had their zoning increased eight times while other landowners have had their density decreased by one-third. How is this fair?
Under existing laws, policies and statutes, riparian, environmentally sensitive and geotechnically hazardous areas are protectable, yet this plan trades off these areas as if they were developable lands and it trades them off with no benefit to the Town. The OCP states clearly that the Town should not trade off these areas as if they were developable. This is in contravention with the Gibsons official community plan. You have no right to override this plan.
An economic analysisof community benefits versus trade-offs for the Town has never been done as part of this plan.
The SCRD, the Ministry of Transportation, the Agricultural Land Commission, the SCCA, Gibsons Volunteer Fire Department, Elphinstone Electors' Association, the Gibsons Alliance of Business and Community and the Friends of Gospel Rock have all provided feedback to the Town expressing that their issues have not been resolved with this plan. Additionally, many have offered constructive suggestions for resolving these issues, and council has ignored this input.
As representatives of the community, you as council are remiss in your duties by ignoring our voices.
Caitlin Hicks, Roberts Creek
