NORTH DELTA - Residents are invited to tour the site of a proposed residential development in North Delta this weekend, to see firsthand what a company is proposing to do with the land at Highway 91 and 72nd Avenue.
MK Delta Lands Group will provide tours this Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 20-21) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to show people what the abandoned industrial peat-mining plant looks like, and offer a vision as to what it can be if approved by Delta.
"I don't think people can appreciate how that is until they get down there and see it," said Teresa Cooper, director of community relations and communications for MK Delta Lands.
Prior to approval of the controversial Southlands development in Tsawwassen, the developer Century Group offered the public a tour of the site to explain their plans for the community. Cooper said MK Delta Lands watched carefully what Century Group did and that it was a "turning point" in public opinion.
"So what we took away from that was, getting people to touch it, feel it, and see themselves being engaged there is really beneficial," she said.
The company offered a similar tour to North Delta residents in June, which Cooper said provided good feedback to "tweak" its plans. The company has been working on a final development plan over the past three years based on numerous community engagements, some of which resulted in stiff opposition to certain proposals.
"The outlet mall part is gone," said Cooper. "It's a much smaller commercial component now and about 1,100 residential units composed of townhomes and apartments."
MK Delta Lands is aiming to go before Delta Council in January for first and second reading of their latest proposal.
The tour begins at 11 a.m. at Wade Road Park in North Delta. Shuttle buses will depart every 20 minutes until 3 p.m. Visitors should wear water-proof boots for their comfort.
