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Letter: Mega home answer is blowing in the Westwind

Dear Editor, Re: “Enough is enough with the mega homes,” Letters, Aug. 26. With respect to Mr.

Dear Editor,
Re: “Enough is enough with the mega homes,” Letters, Aug. 26.
With respect to Mr. Moralex’s comments on the mega homes; while he is correct that some of these mega homes, such as in the case of the well-known Westwind subdivision, are still classy and well manicured after some 40 years and were built under the Land Use Contract (LUC), many residents may not be aware that the LUC was under the governance of the provincial government, and that it usually carried a time limitation of, say 25 years.
This meant that, after 25 years, the City of Richmond could do whatever it felt like doing with it.
 I am quite sure the city would have mentioned that at the very beginning of their recent mega home deliberations.
 Perhaps that is why a high ranking city official, at the last public hearing meeting, spoke about “tweaking the bylaw,’ in an attempt to appease the various sides involved in this issue.
If I am not mistaken here, perhaps someone in the hallowed halls of justice will set me straight.
 Nevertheless, instead of tweaking around with any existing bylaws, (if indeed there were any bylaws pertaining to those particular LUC developments, since they were supposed to be under the jurisdiction of the provincial government) wouldn’t the City of Richmond, once they realized that the 25-year limitation was drawing nigh, have had a just and moral fiduciary duty to institute a new bylaw ahead of the limitation date in order to ensure that the current /original home owners would be able to retain the status quo of their original investment, as well as be able to live up to their reason(s) for that investment in the first place?
 It appears to some of us that the City of Richmond seems to be developing a track record of not only doing what is financially best for the city, as indeed it should, but it seems to be doing so without much forethought, even if its actions fly in the face of the citizens that elected them in the first place.
And then, when they get caught by being in close proximity to the proverbial fan, they hire outside lawyers and university gurus to lecture more so to the now minority citizens, rather than to the new majority immigrants.
Then, without due and timely follow up thereafter, they hope and pray that the issue(s) will either get swept out to sea, swept under some merchants business carpet or that David will continue to be dwarfed by Goliath and all our troubles will be turned into dust just blowing in the Westwind.
Wilbur Walrond
Richmond