Frankly Speaking

It is most fitting that Langley Township is putting its public engagement strategy to its first test, with the establishment of a community planning team (CPT) for Brookswood-Fernridge. It was in Brookswood-Fernridge where the last Township council ran up against the wishes of the community, when it dealt with the deeply unpopular Griffith Neighbourhood Plan. Hearings on the plan were lengthy and the level of interest was very high. While council eventually rejected the plan by a 7-2 vote, its approach to public engagement was judged by many to be severely challenged. Three members of the last council were defeated in November, 2014 - the first councillors to lose their seats since 2002 – and this was at least partially due to the pro-development impression they left with residents. Only one of them, former councillor Grant Ward, had supported the plan at the final vote. The Brookswood-Fernridge debacle also gave rise to the very successful Unelection campaign which played a...

Thousands of trees were cut down when the origonal Campbell Heights business park was built. Frank Bucholtz photo Plans to expand Campbell Heights business park as far south as 10 Avenue could devastate the natural landscape of the area. Surrey council has endorsed preparation of a local area plan for the South Campbell Heights area, which runs from 188 Street to the Langley border, and from 20 Avenue to about 10 Avenue. The 245 hectares (600 acres) is mainly mature forest, with a significant portion cleared farmland. It is immediately south of the existing Campbell Heights business park. Another area east of the existing park, going as far north as 28 Avenue and immediately west of the Langley border, is also under study. It is 97 hectares (240 acres) in size. Taken together, the two areas are about 85 per cent of the size of Stanley Park, and are significantly larger than Green Timbers. Any major development in this area will have a devastating effect on the environ...