Dear Editor:
On Nov. 19, 2014, I attended a meeting of the McBride-Sapperton Residents Association to hear a presentation by representatives of Wesgroup about the four highrises to be built on the “Brewery District” site. I found the arrogance of the presentation to be breathtaking.
In my view the gist of the presentation was “We understand that in our original presentation seeking the support of Sapperton residents and city council, we said that we intended to build towers of 8, 12, 16 and 28 storeys. Well, unfortunately for you there is a loophole in the bylaw governing construction on the “Brewery District” site that is big enough to drive three 18-storey and one 30-storey highrise through. This means we can completely ignore what we said when we originally sought residents’ and city council approval for the development (and what we have been displaying on our website since then). We don’t really care if the residents are adamantly opposed to our new plans. We intend to construct what the loophole allows us to build whether you like it or not, so get over it!” In my view this was the conclusion of a classic “bait and switch” by an untrustworthy developer in full “gotcha” mode.
I attended all the meetings regarding this development from when it was originally proposed. I believe the original proposal enjoyed significant support in the community. At that time, the developer indicated that they would be utilizing the services of an internationally renowned architecture firm so that the development would be an architectural gem for the city. It was intimated at that time that some flexibility was needed to ensure that the final form of the four highrises would be a co-ordinated design and able to reach this exemplary standard. Imagine my horror and disappointment when the developer informed us that, far from being the architectural gem that was originally envisioned, it would be everything that the residents feared and opposed for this site.
All this begs the following questions:
– Can city council do anything to fix this outrageous about-face by Wesgroup, or are the residents of Sapperton going to be stuck with the exact development they opposed from the beginning?
– Was the loophole in the bylaw that allows these changes a mistake of gargantuan proportions on the part of city staff or was it written this way on purpose?
– How does city council intend to fix this so that in the future residents won’t be promised one thing by a developer only to get the thing they most opposed?
I believe that Wesgroup has demonstrated they are untrustworthy and, even if they fix this, should be told that if they ever contemplate another development in this city that they will be required to build exactly what they promise, without any loopholes.
The actions of this developer will also have fallout for the proposed “Sapperton Green” development near the Braid SkyTrain station.
I am sure that any proposal for that site will be viewed with a much more cynical eye by Sapperton residents and we will be much less likely to accept any proposal that allows the developer to make changes from any plan that the residents might agree to.
While I continue to support sensible and responsible development in New Westminster, my faith in the process that seeks input and support from local residents has been shaken to an extent that I will find it difficult to believe anything that any developer says in the future.
Wilf Brodrick, New Westminster
