The Editor,
Re. “NE Coq. parking pondered” (The Tri-City News, Dec. 18).
Coquitlam councillors Teri Towner and Chris Wilson seem quick to blame Burke Mountain residents for the parking woes up here. Instead of blaming residents, they might want to question the city’s role in poor planning, poor design and poor zoning.
This was followed by blind approval from council knowing little of what a new community might require — things like having two-car garages capable of holding two cars and kids’ bikes. And let’s not forget the two large garbage containers the Burke Mountain bears visit each night — where do they go? How about streets wide enough for all the secondary suite parking so emergency vehicles can pass?
The city did a lousy job of forecasting the needs of a mountain community with no transit now or in the foreseeable future. Why can’t council just admit it? This is the same group that approved the two-car width driveway and single-car entrance, just one more disaster that had to be fixed.
Burke Mountain residents would love to have their cars, bikes, lawnmowers and garbage cans safely locked up because all of us who live up here are aware of the rampant theft problem. Perhaps councillors Wilson and Towner should listen to Coun. Mae Reid and look at the zoning before they lecture Burke residents.
While they are looking at zoning, maybe they could look at lack of amenities.
Ken Woodward, Coquitlam
