OPINION RS yy The Ga Stl Wednesday, February AS, 1995 The Castlegar Page 7A Letters to the Editor City tax burden | a grave concern WEDNESDAY, February 15, 1995 ‘secretive’ What about the neighbours who live around the park? Do Council direction Dear Editor: I am writing’ this in order to Honest |... Au © SAD WAS THAT THE PMCE LOOKED FULL, Wwackd IS *ODD" FoR dar Sun Do'we really need five lanes on Columbia Avenue? What is release the city stated that the air- port is a crucial component of Na Serving the 10,000 people. ot the Castlegar Area, The Castlegar Sun is published every Wednesday by Sterling Newspapers Lid. at 465 Columbia Ave. Castlegar, B.C, V1N 1G8. The Castlegar Sun is polit cally independent and a member of the Sterling noon & Service, Canadian C Newspapers Assocation, and the B.C. Press Conch Gaastenes 28, 1990. Mail Regi 10420 PUBLISHER MARILYN STRONG RON NORMAN CHRISTINE MOYER ACTING EDITOR PRODUCTION MANAGER KAREN KERKHOFF TRICIA LAKTIN REPORTER PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JEFF GABERT CATHERINE ROSS SPORTS REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER = ADVERTISING REP. MARGE LALONDE NI BEETSTRA OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER ~=— ADVERTISING REP. BRANDY DUKE FRED JACK CLASSIFIED ADS ADVERTISING REP. Direct Department Phones General Office ».365-5266 Circulation 365-5266 Classified Ads 365-7848 Display Advertising 365-2278 Newsroom 365-5579 Fax .... . 365-7762 editorial comment Bridge welcome news Castlegar council received some good news last week: Zuckerberg Island suspension bridge needs little repair work and will reopen to the public this spring. Council welcomed the news the way a prize- fighter caught on the ropes welcomes the bell sig- nalling the end of a round. Council has been beleaguered and beseiged the last little while Part of that is because of the dizzying array of issues—important issues—that council is dealing with. Everything from the privatization of the Castlegar airport to massive residential develop- ment in the south end. Part of that is also because nothing has been easy. Not even developing another ball field at Kin- naird Park. (There was never, for instance, the same outcry over the building of the ball field at the Community Complex, but then the Community Complex isn’t Kinnaird Park, either). Finally, in the suspension bridge report, coyncil has been lobbed a soft one, one it can hit out of the park (to use a baseball metaphor, if that is permit- ted in these highly-charged times). Zuckerberg Island suspension bridge requires only some minor maintenance *City crews need to wash down the planking to get rid of all the dirt and debris that has accumulat- ed over the last 11 years since the structure was built by the 44th Field Engineers. And any wom planks need replacing. But while there is some superficial corrosion to the main cables and suspender cables, it’s nothing te worry about, says the engineer who carried out the inspection. The bridge won’t cost an arm and a leg to repair. Council doesn’t have to try shoehorning the cost of major repairs into an already tight budget, or explain to angry residents why it is too expensive to keep the bridge. No, instead council had the pleasure of telling res- idents their bridge would be open again this spring, You may have felt a breeze rush through town last week just after the bridge report was delivered. That was a collective sigh of relief from the mayor, coun- cillors and city staff. Ron Norman Community involvement Castlegar RCMP is to be commended for its plan to create a community police advisory committee. The committee, which will draw on all sectors of the community, from youth to service groups, will pro- vide a much-needed sounding board for both police and citizens The RCMP have always been a part of this com- munity, now the advisory committee will ensure the community is a part of the RCMP. Ron Norman ERRORS: The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be hable for damages arising out of errors in any advertisement beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occured whether such error is due to the negligence of its servants or otherwise... and there shail be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. All advertising subject to publisher's approval. Contracts must be completed within one year from contract date No contingent orders accepted VALENTINE’S. DAY ?!... EMERALD GREEN DEVELOPMENT Nothing is ever black and white Nothing is ever black and white. And Castlegar council's deci- sion to proceed with rezoning for the Emerald Green development at the upper reaches of 37th Street is no exception. The Emerald Green proposal, while not what many of the resi- dents of nearby Southridge would prefer, is nonetheless quite acceptable Emerald Green wants to devel- op a 160-lot subdivision, which is easily one of the largest in this city’s history. But it’s not a straight-ahead, single-family subdivision like Meadowbrook or Grosvenor Place or Southridge. itself Instead, there will be a 40 modu- lar homes, another 67 single-fam- ily homes, and two townhouse complexes: one of 18 units and another of 32 units. And there's the rub for many Soiithridge homeowners. They would rather see a development that is compatible with the existing homes in the area, which are fairly upscale single-family residences. They fear—and they could_be—- right, but more about that in a moment—that the value ‘of their homes will depreciate if modular homes and townhouses are built. There was talk at the Novem- ber public hearing about the type smacks loudly of elitism. But there is a valid point underlying the concern. And that is that a mix of different types of homes decreases property values. Ask any real estate agent: a uniform neigh- borhood is more likely to appeal to homebuyers, whether the neighborhood is modular homes or mansions. But one thing should be made clear: the Emerald Green devel- opment will not be a trailer park. In fact, the developer has upgrad- ed the zoning from a mobile home park to a modular home, townhouse and single-family development Emerald Green's homes—at least from what they have shown city hall—will be attractive, bright and clean. And a welcome addition to the city. Most importantly, they will be affordable, allowing entry-level buyers—mostly young people who are starting out—to have a brand new house instead of hav- ing to purchase a 40-year-old “handyman’s special”. The problem with the Emerald a large portion of them. More than $500,000 in all. And that's just for the off-site costs—things like upgrading 37th Street from the new subdivision entrance to t h e Southridge intersection, and adding to the capacity of the south sewer treat- ment plant, where all the sewage from the new THE VIEW FROM HERE RON NORMAN homes will flow. The city is sharing some of these off-site costs, to the tune of $140,000. That’s not pocket change. But it’s nothing com- pared to what it will have to shell out later. And this is where you have to wonder how much we as taxpay- ers want to spend in order for development to proceed. You see, the biggest expense facing the city is not the portion of 37th Street- between Southridge and the new subdivi- sion, but the existing road between Southridge and Columbia Avenue. That road is one of the worst in the city. The grade and width are of person these develop s attract: transients with no real attachment to the neighborhood. I don't believe that for a moment and would suggest that it Green d I said at the beginning that nothing is black and white—is the servicing costs. They are incredibly expensive. The developer is going to pay Letters to the Editor h near the req d stan- dard for a collector road. In order to bring it up to col- lector status, the city will have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. The city has pledged to upgrade the road. But not until the Columbia Avenue south upgrade goes ahead, sometime in the next three to five years. And this is where another problem emerges. Southridge was allowed to proceed years ago without having a proper access on 37th Street Then Southridge expanded up the hill into Windsor Place—-still without any requirement for upgrading 37th Street. Last year work began on the 30-lot Wil- son/Idle subdivision behind Southridge—again without any upgrading of 37th Street Now we have a 160-lot subdi- vision going ahead. And guess what? No improvements to 37th. Those 160 lots will add 1,600 cars a day to 37th. That’s in addi- tion to the hundreds (thousands?) of cars a day already using the road. Granted, it’s not likely all 160 lots will be sold before the Columbia Avenue upgrade is fin- ished. But a fair number could be. In any event, there will be much greater pressure on 37th Street than there is now. This is a street that isn't built to properly handle the traffic it has. It amazes me that our elected Officials are doing the very thing that they criticized past councils for: allowing development to pro- ceed without proper servicing. You'd think we would have learned from our mistakes. My experience with groundhogs Dear Editor: Feb. 2 was Groundhog Day and comments and references from the media take me back in fetrospect fo the early 1930s-the Depression years. I had built a small root cellar in a bank below my cabin, grubbing the bank out to make a level space on which to build the struc- ture. The rear end was pushed right back into the cavity and the sides of the edifice were at right angles to the face of the bank The center-pitch roof with 15 inch eave projections shed the snow and left a narrow, clear strip, or “runway” between the walls and the snowbank. | was fully aware that this excavation, protected by the structure, would become a haven for groundhogs, or woodchucks. It was a beautiful, sunny day in the first week of FebruaryThe two-foot-plus blanket of glisten- ing, untrammeled snow lay over the entiré area. On passing, I noticed a lot of small, dirty dges on the snowbank under the eave of the root cellar. Upon investigation, they proved to be many tiny tracks made by the grubby little forepaws of small rodents. The family of groundhogs had evi- dently gotten tired of their long rest, or possibly they or their nests needed cleaning or delous- ing. Possibly, they were tired of metabolized fat as a diet Anyway, they had emerged from their burrows, walked along their little runway under the eave, lined up with their backs to the wall, stood up and rested their fore-paws on the snowbank, like a troop of soldiers looking out over the parapet of the trench. Seeing no sign of any available fresh, green fodder, either then or in the immediate future, they returned to their nests for another period of hibernation and metab- olized fat. I saw no further sign of these little fellows until after the snow had gone and the alfalfa and clover were burgeoning — ly early April. “y believe that the mid-winter foray by one or more of the colony is part of their routine of these rodents. I cannot say whether any of the other hiberna- tors have any similar habits. JF. Killough Castlegar Truck fumes a problem Dear Editor: This letter is in regard to West Arm Trucking and the noise and fumes their business generates. I object to their disregard to promises that they made It is my understanding that the recyclable wastewater system for the truck washing operation has not been installed. I wonder where the waste water now drains and if it could contaminate our water aquifer for our wells. This system was called for in the covenant on the land. __Our old Iron Creek water sup- ply has to date not been restored as promised, and now West Arm wants to negotiate on the costs to complete the repairs. My feeling, and those who maintained this system for years, is that West Arm was responsible for the destruction and should restore it with no cost to us. They did supply themselves with an outlet without permis- sion. They have done this in a high-handed manner with disre gard for the original users. I request that the regional dis- trict look after the environmental concerns closely, so that we can have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. Also enforce the noise bylaw so that we can have a restful sleep + Tena and Alex Loverettiow Ootischenia Dear Editor: As a retired property owner, and from conversations with other senior citizens who are in the same circumstance as me, 1 have grave concerns about additional tax burdens being i d by the yet my source of income from Canada Pension and Old Age Security Pension increases by one-half of one per cent, which does not even relate to the cost- of-living index. I would encourage our local of the City of Castlegar. Not only has our cost of water and sewer been raised, but now we are expected to pay for garbage costs and recycling services, whether we make use of these or not on an individual basis. I personally return my glass bottles directly to the “retail outlet in order to recover the deposits and consequently am dealing directly with my recycling responsibilities. I find it interesting to note that exclusive of any increase in property taxes my utility charge will increase by $98 a year and to not fall into the tax trap being practised by the provincial and federal govern- ments, because ultimately there may not be anything left to tax. 1 feel concem and empathy for young couples who must bear the burden of taxes and high interest rates and may not be able to afford a home Owning a home may be con- sidered a luxury, but in fact it may become a liability, since it is an easy target for the tax per- son at all levels. Louis Mucha Castlegar Elders showing teens disrespect Dear Editor: I am a teen in Castlegar, age 14, and J have just recently real- ized how our elders discrimi- nate against us. The other day while shopping in downtown Castlegar we were watched (which was made very obvious to us) by a saleslady who fol- lowed us through the aisles a few feet behind us, and then poked through all the bins we looked at just to make sure nothing was missing Why is it that people just assume that teens shoplift for the sole reason they are teens? HAIR-4-U and the UPPER ROOM GIFT SHOP Featuring Seniors + PREPLANNED ALL TOURS INCLUD Round trip transportation from Vancouver, sightseeing, and more! Coach getaway featuring matinee performance of MISS SAIGON, and journey (including Spirit of Washington” train English Interlude @ * 14 days/12 nights $2,799... Coronation Street Studios and much more China Highlights@ $3,099 BCAA Travel Agency ay G® CALL US TODAY! Phone 352-3535 illustrate my concerns about things that are happening in our community. It would appear that the direction that our council of the day is giving to the citizens is both secretive and disjunctive. My first concern is our city logo. Why change it? What's the cost? Where was the deci sion made: in camera or in the public session? The next item is the Arrow Lakes Drive upgrade. This pro- ject started at $3.5 million and now has been reduced to a $350,000 “fix-it-up-now and pay- me- later” scenario. It is being done in combination with the multi-million dollar superhigh- way upgrade of Columbia Avenue from the Highway 3 interchange to 37th Street Flag's 30th anniversary Dear Editor: It was on Feb. 15, 1965 that our distinctive maple leaf flag was first raised over Parliament Hill as the national flag of Canada. Over the past 30 years, our flag has become the most prominent and visible symbol of Canada At home and abroad, the mtaple leaf flag symbolizes a unit- ed, proud and confident nation Take time to share in this special anniversary. If your group or organization is preparing to cele- brate the 30th anniversary of our flag and need a new flag to mark the occasion we will do our best to supply you with one. Phone 365-2792 or 1-800-667-2393 Dorothy Bagg executive assistant to Kootenay West-Revelstoke MP Jim Gouk the motivating factor behind our new superhighway? What about the rest of the 23 kilometers of roads in our community that need repairs? In the mayor's words, “Will you be willing to go to the citi- zens for $3.5 million, and are you in favor of undertaking a paving referendum?” Gee, Mr. Mayor, maybe you should ask us that question. One further comment on roads: is that we as citizens are not will- ing to take “acceptable” as a standard of how we do things in ‘our community. The next item is the changes to Kinnaird Park Are you willing to cut down trees to build another ballpark or willing to follow a plan? Do we really need another ballpark, or do we upgrade and maintain the fields we already have? In this issue we need to talk to the man who walks his dog in the park; to the elderly couple who takes a leisurely walk around the park; to the kids who squeal and yell while they run through the trées. they eat more dust and put up with more traffic? These changes appear to be working backwards. First, you make a plan, get input and then make a decision on input you received. What happened to the Open Spaces Study? Now about the garbage. First you tell me there will be no increase in-my taxes, Then in the next breath you tell me that my garbage will now cost me $71, yet the cost to the city is only $28.75 and I have to pay $45 Why the 40 per cent increase? My questions at this time are as a taxpayer how much more will I have to pay, and what's the fee for? Since this is ‘a separate service, can we now take our own garbage to the landfill? We as taxpayers have reached our limit. No more taxes and no more fees Regarding the airport: Castle- gar council has decided to go it alone on the takeover of the oper- ation of the airport. Something doesn’t seem right here First of all, the airport isn’t in the city boundaries. In a press regional economy and that the long-term sustainability of the airport is a regional concern. The region includes both regional districts and we should be undertaking these negotiations as a group so we all can benefit and save the citizens of Castlegar some money. Remember that saying, “united we stand divided we fall”. We can atcomplish more if we work very closely with both areas and directors, as well neighbouring communities, because in the end we are all trying to reach the same goal. Lawrence Cheratt Castlegar wi, Building) ulipe Bui 365-5191 Minister of immigration c/o Roger White fax: 819-994-7454 This SUPPORT MIKE NORMINGTON If you support Mike Normington's application to stay in Canada, please phone or fax to: Sergio Marchi, Jim Gouk, M.P. Ed Conroy, (604) 365-2792 phone M.L.A. 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