by Eric Sherlock
Bowen Island Undercurrent, January 18, 2008
Something happened to the Cape Roger Curtis developers on the way to their coronation as enlightened landowners.
At the Sept. 19 public meeting where the developers unveiled the 60 per cent park, 100 per cent public waterfront scenario, one of their information display boards proudly announced: “A comprehensive planning and design process affords the island community an opportunity to secure the protection of a majority of its lands while more efficiently clustering the same development footprint currently permitted under the existing OCP”. The presentation board promised “neighborhood scale”, and suggested that after development, commercial services at Cape Roger Curtis could include “a corner store and coffee shop”.
Yet, by the Dec. 1 public meeting, the same amenities were now being offered at a new cost of 800 – 1,200 residential units. This new proposed level of density is about five times more than the highest possible permitted by the OCP.
What happened between Sept. 19 and Dec. 1? It wasn’t a change in interest rates.
I want to see the September plan and municipal council should demand the same.