The Editor,
Re. “PoMo OKs TOD plan for Moody Centre in 4-3 vote” (The Tri-City News, Dec. 1).
Port Moody has exemplified, over the years, a city with the small-town feel and sells itself as the City of the Arts.
With all the development being planned for this city, I would like to know how it is going to retain this designation whilst remaining within its OCP.
Now, all I see are plans for development: Coronation Park with its five or seven highrises. Redevelopment of the Flavelle yards. Possible development of the fire hall and works yard sites.
How is this council going to ensure Port Moody maintains the small-town feel with all this potential development?
The rationale to build more buildings around the Evergreen Extension stations is understood but if the people who buy or rent these buildings are still going to use their cars and not the SkyTrain, why build more highrises?
Silly me, it means more taxes for the city. I forgot that one.
This will increase the traffic through and around Port Moody, aggravating the people living here even further. There is no consideration of improving or building more roads to accommodate this traffic because there isn’t room to build more roads.
Additional people mean more people in Rocky Point Park, more traffic and congestion, less of the community feel in Suter Brook and Newport Village.
I think maybe we should change the title of City of the Arts to City for the Developers.
Let’s not delude ourselves that the public hearings on these items mean public opinions are heard. It is going through the motions as I believe council members have already made up their minds and it is a done deal.
Get ready, Port Moody, to be one of the other Tri-Cities towns with lots of highrises, no community feel, no small-town feel and definitely not be voted as one of the best cities to live in, as it has been in the past.
Gillian Harney, Port Moody
