Considering the great benefit a well-planned waterfront development could be for Mission, it was surprising to not see any response at all in the Sept. 3 edition of the Mission Record, from any readers.
Clearly it is the council’s responsibility to come up with a plan to properly develop this land, which has to involve the Braich family, but it appears that what has been proposed by them and the Martini Group is unacceptable considering the sewer line and the proximity to Mission Raceway.
The reference to “thousands of new jobs” and no cost to the taxpayer is going to be made by every developer along with other “benefits”, but at the end of the day, Council is faced with the development of a virtually treeless area which has been an eyesore for decades.
May I suggest a consortium with a developer such as the creators of Mont Tremblant in Quebec to establish “a Jewel on the Fraser River”, after the trans-river sewer line is dealt with, which has long been delayed and if it ever ruptured the financial and environmental costs would be enormous, actually stratospheric.
Council appears to be out of its depth regarding negotiations with any developer and has shown a wanton disregard over its stewardship of taxpayers’ money in the appointment of a public relations person, a $200,00 proposed expenditure to seek a rename classification and the imposition of a 4.39% tax increase.
Jeanette Smith
Mission