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Letter: New West must compensate me for a car-free Columbia

Editor: An open letter to New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote: My name is Michael Foster and I live on Columbia Street. I moved to New Westminster from North Vancouver in 2015.
A Car Free Columbia Force of Nature
A Car Free Columbia: Artist Louise Chow has envisioned a car-free Columbia Street, which would transform the thoroughfare into a community space in the heart of the city. Chow’s rendering is part of an initiative by local residents with Force of Nature Alliance, who are calling on the city to transform downtown Columbia Street into an area where people can meet, relax and enjoy everything the local businesses have to offer.

Editor:

An open letter to New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote:
My name is Michael Foster and I live on Columbia Street. I moved to New Westminster from North Vancouver in 2015. I enjoy living in New Westminster and appreciate your efforts to always be exploring ways to improve our community for all residents who live here. 
It has come to my attention via numerous recent New Westminster Record news articles there are activist groups demanding (some downtown parts of) Columbia Street in New Westminster be permanently closed to all vehicle traffic.

Please be advised our building’s parkade entrance is on Columbia Street. This would understandably have a significant impact on our homes as we would no longer be able to have tradespeople, taxis, delivery vehicles, HandyDart, moving trucks attend our building.

What is more concerning is we would no longer be able to drive to our homes and park our personal vehicles on our property. What would happen with garbage collection and recycling at our building? We already experience numerous temporary street closures throughout the year and to imagine a permanent closure and limited access to our building is inconceivable and, quite frankly, unacceptable.

Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Festival
Each summer, New Westminster is home to what's considered the largest food truck festival in Canada. The fourth annual Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Festival returns to Columbia Street on Aug. 20. - Chung Chow


I have learned the city has recently hired a climate change manager to oversee such initiatives. I also observed in the Record an artist’s rendition of Columbia Street as a post-vehicle public open space.  One article even features a photo looking east on Columbia Street and every story I have read makes very obvious references to Columbia Street.
I am writing to ask you sir if you intend to close Columbia Street.
If so, please advise when this will occur and kindly explain how the city plans to compensate myself and the other over 40-plus home owners here who will be directly impacted. I ask that you also consider there are three additional residential buildings west of us on Columbia. 

I’m also a little perplexed. I pay taxes to the City of New Westminster yet I understand individuals who apparently reside in other communities (Coquitlam/Vancouver/Surrey) can apparently come to New Westminster and make demands that directly impact those of us who call New Westminster home. 

Will council be taking direction from these outside influencers or the voters and taxpayers of this municipality? 

I request your immediate attention and look forward to a timely explanation and clarification.

Michael Foster, New Westminster

Editor’s note: Just to clarify, it was New Westminster members of the group Force of Nature who spoke at council about making Columbia car-light or car-free.