Editor's note: During the beginning stages of the civic election campaign, The Tri-City News received a number of letters to the editor on the issue of monster or mega homes being built in older areas of the region, specifically certain parts of Port Moody and Coquitlam. Since election issues took up letters space then, we're running a selection of those letters now.
HOUSING CHOICE
The Editor
Mega homes are springing up in Port Moody's Glenayre neighbourhood like fall mushrooms.
While mega homes are out of character in the Glenayre neighbourhood, they are also inappropriate for the goals of our city's official community plan.
One goal is affordability. Fourplexes and row houses would provide more affordable housing on our expensive land.
As well, these varieties of housing would provide choice for young families and older residents.
Finally, squeezing more people into our neighbourhood is appropriate for a transit-friendly community near the Evergreen Line.
D.B. Wilson, Port Moody
'LOVE TREES!'
The Editor,
I read the article about the monster houses in the southwest area of our wonderful city of Coquitlam.
It's sad to see how we seem to have a double standard when it comes to rebuilding.
My biggest concern is the trees. I understood we have a bylaw that tells us we can only take down one or two trees a year. It looks to me to be not so true as my old residence is now a bare piece of land to have five houses going up in its place.
I live and work in the Tri-Cities and have seen three different properties basically clearcut. This is not totally wrong but, as I said before, we seem to have two sets of rules: one for residents and another for developers.
The properties are old with many second-growth trees on them, which these people are taking down all at once. Then they are sold.
I've had many people ask me what is going on with this bylaw and is there a way to stop this.
I've tried to talk to the city but of course you get the runaround. Most of the people I talk to are old residents.
I felt it was time to voice my thoughts as it's sad to see us turn into another Westwood Plateau with monster houses and no trees.
Shame on the city of Coquitlam. This will come back to bite you.
Love our trees!
Marina Evans, Coquitlam
SMALL LOTS?
The Editor,
We are OK with mega homes being built as long as they drop their roof level from 35 feet to 30 feet, install off-street parking for basement suite tenants, make the six feet from the property line of a neighbouring property not the wall of the house but the eaves troughs.
The mega home roofs beside us are 35 feet and higher, and are causing us to lose our winter sunshine, which is needed the most at that time of the year. But the city of Coquitlam allowed these homes to be built without any consideration to us and future people in the neighbourhood.
The reason people never built to the lot line was because everyone worked hard, most families back then the father worked at an outside job and the wife worked at a non-paying job looking after the house and family - basically a lack of ready money to build like this plus the building code would never have allowed it to happen.
A legal one-bedroom suite would be the way we would like to see these homes built on either side; that way, they will fit the lot properly.
What is wrong with flatter roofs in an old neighbourhood? They should all be the same height but if neighbourhood is already mega homes, then keep doing it. Our neighbourhood is smaller homes and Coquitlam council is screwing with people's lives.
The other problem we have is lot sizes. Coquitlam council is often heard saying there is no more land. So why won't the city allow smaller lots, like 40' wide?
Just recently, we heard of someone wanting to tear down three old homes that have been rentals for quite a while now and build five smaller homes but the city again would not let them have smaller lots. We need smaller lots.
Peter & Judy Sauer, Coquitlam
