Dear Editor,
How fortunate are we to have a community with no shortage of volunteer fire fighters, as I understand some communities have difficulty filling the requirement.
Given the cramped conditions of the existing hall and its lack of seismic safety a better facility is definitely needed, and given that a lot of BC is on fire, this need was really brought home and the referendum could not have been better timed. The acre of land proposed for the fire hall is viewed as the most affordable option, since it came to the community as part of a package of properties which were deemed surplus to the needs of Metro parks (called GVRD at the time).
The community agreed to the borrowing of $2,000,000 for the purchase of these lands under the agreement that the debt would be paid off in 5 years (as I recall, but could be mistaken). That was 12 years ago. We have not paid for that land, but have been paying interest on the loan on our property taxes since 2006.
It is right and good that we as a community should develop self-sustaining infrastructure such as an adequate fire hall, emergency coordination and training center. It is also right and good that we have the infrastructure of adequate housing for all those who cannot get into housing purchase, yet upon whom we rely to help work in the businesses of our local economy.
The reality is that in housing terms nest has turned into nest egg and housing has become a commodity with great return on investment. Rentals have greatly diminished.
Some people felt that the piece of land designated for the new hall would have been better suited for the construction of some “more economical” housing, given its easy walking distance to stores and the ferry.
The referendum passed with about 80% in favour of borrowing $3,000,000 for the new fire hall. So that is agreed upon, but surely there is room to consider more than one simultaneous use of this valuable land.
Could there not be room to consider a seismic design that satisfies the fire department’s needs while also providing some second level housing units, which could help pay back this additional borrowing?
Richard Best
