The following letter was sent to the Gibsons area planning committee and copied to Coast Reporter.
Like many Gibsons citizens, we greeted the news of the area planning committee with pleasure.
The last dozen or so years our community has been plagued by small groups of dissenters unable to compromise on community endeavours. We all heaved a sigh of relief that we would have a forum of "sober second thought" to help us through our debates. We hoped for a group representative of us all and the many different opinions that all communities contain.
Alas, the first public utterance I have seen seems to be an exercise in division worthy of our recent history (Coast Reporter, Aug. 16, regarding The George Hotel proposal).
For some inconceivable reason the group decided to comment on a proposal that was already outdated, one which the proponent and the Town had already agreed would be altered.
Your committee has done its community a disservice. This is not the inclusive, informed, open-minded, community-minded committee that most of us envisaged. Let's drop the prejudicial language - "naturish," whatever that means - and pursue the committee mandate in an open and intelligent manner.
That's all we ask. Thank you for your efforts on our behalf.
Jo-Anne McNevin, Gibsons
