Dear Editor,
Re: “Mega home bylaw on hold,” News, June 25
I have been talking with family and neighbours about Richmond council’s plans to write up bylaws protecting our neighbourhoods after many years of avoiding the obvious problem.
Richmond residents were overjoyed to hear that council was finally making this a priority, so it is extremely disappointing that council has put this off for another three months for “public consultation” (ironically on an issue the public has been united and vocal about for years.)
During that time, how many neighbourhoods are going to suffer because a long overdue solution has been put off even longer? Every time a new house is built further back on the lot, neighbouring residents’ backyards lose sunlight. What used to be a green backyard becomes a tiny courtyard. Every time trees are cut down and replaced with oversized concrete driveways, and mega homes with metal fences are built that don’t fit the existing streetscape, neighbourhood s are forever changed and not for the better. How many more residents will lose what they love about their neighbourhoods because of this delay? How many planned subdivisions of the 1970’s and 80’s will become “little boxes” of different colors “all made out of ticky-tacky,” and which “all look just the same.”
Shame on council for once again putting developers and future residents ahead of homeowners and current residents. Kudos to Carol Day, however, for voting not to delay this discussion and continually standing up for the voices of the people of Richmond.
When the next election comes around voters need to remember who is on their side protecting neighbourhoods and who is more interested in pandering to the developers.
Michael Seidelman
Richmond
