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Editor;
Is our Surrey by-law system corrupted? It could be...
I live in a strata where my small backyard faces a walkway.
Everything was fine until developers built a townhouse complex across from the walkway. Joi Living, it’s called, on 18818 71 Ave. Surrey.
As expected, they built it, amending by-laws, (regardless of neighbours’ complaints) maximizing living space, building the townhomes as close as they could to the walkway, leaving no space for children to play, with their extra small backyards.
Then residents started to use the walkway as their own playground, adults included, playing sports like street hockey, soccer, tennis, beach ball, football you name it. (Whole families with parents and kids sometimes) screaming like the universe belongs to them, with no respect for the neighbours that live a few feet away, and have to endure all that fuss, unable to enjoy their own yards. Pucks and balls flying into neighbours’ yards, the noise from hockey sticks hitting the asphalt when you are trying to relax or have a meal, with your family in your own yard is just too disturbing.
You get the picture. And we are only a few feet away from all this.
When I approached the family to inform them of the Surrey by-law that forbids playing street hockey and other sports in a walkway, the lady told me, “Go ahead, you can take pictures, make a movie and send to them, (the by-law department). We have friends there.”
My jaw fell to the ground at first, but now I’m thinking, well, it might be true. It’s been two days [since] I called the city and made an official complaint online. No reply, no investigation, nothing/ Weird, don’t you think?
By-law No. 13007, part IV, 64:
(2) No person shall engage in any sport, amusement, exercise or occupation on a sidewalk or walkway or stand, walk, run or loiter in such a manner as to obstruct, impede or interfere with the free passage of another person on a sidewalk or walkway.
Paulo Pajares
Surrey
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