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Seven-hour Surrey council meeting delays decisions

Public hearings focus on private school, live-work project, South Campbell and more
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Decisions on eight matters that were before Surrey council Monday for public hearing – including three of particular note for many South Surrey residents – were deferred, following a marathon meeting that didn’t conclude until 2 a.m.

“I don’t want to just plow on,” Coun. Judy Villeneuve said shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday, in response to a suggestion from Mayor Linda Hepner that council “plow through” the business after a short break.

“I think we should adjourn the business of this meeting to our next council meeting so that we all have time to reflect… and we have time to discuss the projects that have been before us in a reasonable manner.”

Projects on the agenda for third reading included official community plan and zoning amendment bylaws, as well as a development variance permit, for a private school and townhouse development eyed for 168 Street east of Highway 99.

Council was to also consider third reading on a zoning amendment bylaw for a development that includes 12 live-work units in the 16800-block of 23 Avenue; as well as a text-amendment bylaw for the in-process Local Area Plan for South Campbell Heights.

In suggesting deferral, Villeneuve said it would be “unsafe and unhealthy to continue” at that late hour.

“It’s 1:30 in the morning and I just don’t think it’s fair to the public or to our staff or to council to have to go on for another hour-and-a-half till three o’clock in the morning,” she said.

All three items were hot topics for residents who turned out to city hall to speak; the final speaker on the LAP didn’t get his turn at the mic until after 1 a.m.

Those who spoke in favour of the private school – a Surrey campus for the Fraser Academy – lauded the difference the Vancouver location has made on the lives of their children, the jobs that would be created and the burden that would be eased for Surrey public schools.

Representatives for the proponent estimated that 248 students who need learning assistance would leave the public school system to enrol at the new, 400-seat Fraser Academy.

South Surrey resident Albert Svab told council his granddaughter, who he said struggled in public school due to dyslexia, currently commutes up to two hours each way to attend the Vancouver campus.

A local site “would definitely help any students that need that extra learning that they are faced with and not have to go into Vancouver,” Svab said.

The focus of concerns with the development included the potential impact to the Fergus Creek Biodiversity Preserve; and that commitments to things such as habitat mitigation would not be met.

Jamie Cooke of the Little Campbell Watershed Society said he was concerned that a wildlife corridor “has been lost out of the plan,” and suggested shifting the townhouse component of the project south. It’s currently separated from the school site by acreage not owned by the developer.

Regarding the proposed live-work project, opponents’ concerns included the impact of increased traffic on an already-congested 24 Avenue, a lack of parking in the neighbourhood – located near where a city works yard is under construction – and that the 12 live-work units would face residences already built on 23 Avenue.

“It’s over-congested, it’s way too much,” said one woman who spoke. “It’s getting ridiculous what’s being built there.”

According to a city clerk, six people, including an agent for the proponent, spoke to the live-work project, and 31 spoke to the private-school project.

In opening the LAP public hearing, Hepner clarified the text-amendment issue was “just ensuring that that 37 per cent conservation that we identified with the original land-use plan is exercised in our other plans.” It had to be addressed prior to submission to the Metro Vancouver board, council heard.

Speakers expressed concern with the plan itself, questioning apparent changes to details in the report that was before council that night compared to plans they had given input on at community meetings.

“In essence, you have not stayed true to what you presented to us,” Sharon Stevenson told council, describing an apparent drop in agricultural focus in certain areas.

Grant Rice, a former council candidate, suggested Coun. Tom Gill should recuse himself from the hearing, noting Gill had advocated “on behalf of the largest landowner in this LAP, and that advocacy includes attempting to have a truck park development precede the LAP process.”

Rice said feedback regarding the Brookswood aquifer and maintaining rural and agricultural zoning “has fallen on deaf ears.”

“Council has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create another significant nature reserve in the city and adopting this LAP will be a significant setback for the environment,” he said.

The city clerk told PAN the deferred matters are to be addressed at council’s Nov. 6 meeting, as will a contentious planned road through Hawthorne Park in North Surrey.

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A 2015 community meeting regarding a proposed truck park drew more than 150 people to the Semiahmoo Fish & Game Club. (File photo)
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A City of Surrey planning report shows the layout proposed for a private school at 919 168 St.


Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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