Surrey - The Editor, Re: "Growing pains in Grandview," the Now, June 17. On Monday night, Mayor Watts and her Surrey First councillors approved a large urban subdivision they are dropping willy-nilly into our quiet Grandview Heights suburban neighbourhood.
They did this despite the fact that area residents have overwhelmingly rejected the proposal because it sets an ugly precedent that will only encourage developers to start divvying up our area. Only Coun. Barinder Rasode had the courage and integrity to stand up for our neighbourhood against the developers.The only potential protection council offered us from further piecemeal over-development consists of a nonsensical addition to our General Land Use Plan. Ironically, the GLUP is one of several of the city's major development policies Council had to ignore in order to force this subdivision on us.Given the long-standing perception that Surrey city hall has traditionally been in bed with the development community, perhaps next time taxpayers will decide to elect councillors with no history of incestuous relationships with developers.Gary CameronSurrey