The Editor,
Bicycling around Richmond, it is difficult not to notice all the 14 storey mid-rise boxes in various stages of construction. It is even more difficult to imagine that our great-grandchildren will be fighting to preserve these structures for their heritage value.
The builders of the shacks slated for restoration at Terra Nova and in Steveston and Railway might be stunned at the estimated cost of their restoration or that anyone would consider spending taxpayers' money to do so.
The City of Vancouver did this with a whole block of "heritage" houses. They left the windows as single-paned to maintain the authenticity and spent more than $50,000 to restore each fireplace mantle. Eventually, major renovations had to be made. Seems the only heritage component left was the appearance of the buildings. So what's the point?
The other thought which came to mind was the sheer quantity of these apartment blocks and the number of new residents (and vehicles) they represent.
Council has a stated policy of discouraging vehicle traffic in Richmond. City spokesperson, Ted Townsend wrote, "...the cost and other consequences make it economically unsustainable and socially irresponsible to simply continue to constantly expand our road system, as studies have shown such growth simply generates more traffic growth."
As this statement reflects the position of council, why do they mandate a minimum number of parking spaces at commercial and residential developments? Don't they realize if they build parking spaces, cars will fill them?
Finally, it will soon be bicycle month (in June). The way to tell, without looking at your calendar, is by the accumulation of broken glass and debris along the sides of local roads. Council does everyone a service when they encourage cyclists to practice their obstacle avoidance skills, their flat tire repair skills, and their first aid training.
I had the opportunity to test the emergency response team after suffering a crash at Railway and Francis last June. The fire department and the ambulance service came through with flying colours. Next came a transfer to VGH for a week as Richmond Hospital wasn't ready for someone with a broken collar bone, two broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a concussion.
Reinhard Pekarek Richmond
