Following on from Stacey Beamer’s thoughtful letter, I too am deeply disappointed with the plan to re-pave the Cove. To me this is a clear statement that the comfort of the commuter matters far more than the on-island worker.
We need housing for workers on Bowen. It is a dire situation now. The OCP is a wonderful wish list. It is time to look at the results it has given our community: a 16,000 sq.ft. house and various tear-downs of waterfront/view homes are beyond the pockets of the staff of the Ruddy Potato.
The intention to save the environment is laudable. Whenever supply is restricted then the wealthy have an advantage. We see this on Bowen with luxury homes for holiday-makers being the new norm. With the resurgence of the housing market the rental market for workers is worsening. Renting is the only way working people can live on Bowen. This restriction of supply is an artificiality, created by us. To blame the problem on the market is simply a cop out.
To balance life’s realities we could create a similar artificiality to favour the worker: density in the Cove. Of course to build we need land. I fear the expense of re-paving the Cove is such that it de-facto removes many future planning choices for the Cove.
I would love to see many different housing styles for workers. It could be done by moving Bowen Island Trunk Road north into Crippen Park between the library and the crossroads. This would instantly create land.
Various Snug Cove Plans have been mooted over the years with Bowen Island Trunk Road being built on.
The supreme irony is that the answer is in the OCP Chapter 11: Create a Business Improvement District for the lower cove. As working capital put the old road into the corporation.
The island is awash with good brains to implement this possibility. Sadly it is Bowen and time to fiddle while Rome burns.
Daniel Heald
