langleywatchdog…. and more!

You would think that before the Township of Langley (TOL) took steps to try to alter their long established arrangement within Metro Vancouver they would take steps to communicate with their taxpayers! Sorry, that is the way it would be in any other city or municipality, but obviously not the Township. I wonder who was behind this.

As you may recall the Township of Langley is embroiled in an issue with Metro Vancouver over their by-laws that purportedly conflict with Metro Vancouver’s recent unanimously adopted Regional Growth Strategy (RGS). This conflict surprisingly enough has turned legal with lawyers on both sides costing taxpayers a significant amount of money. Now it is important to note that the RGS was adopted unanimously by the Township of Langley Municipal Council in 2011 and by all member municipalities, cities and councils throughout the region during that same year. Councilor Fox was the Township Director at the Board level and voted for the RGS and now we hear more of his bafflegab that goes nowhere! Fox has all of the answers, he just doesn’t understand the questions yet!

Lets’ be clear, this is not about siding with Metro Vancouver against the Township of Langley. It is about living within a Provincial Legislated mandated partnership for the benefit of the citizens within member cities and municipalities of the region. Every member of Metro can come up with a grievance(s) but that applies to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), Translink, the Provincial and Federal Government and more. The most important thing to remember is Metro Vancouver was initially established to provide sewer and water services for the region and has grown to include regional planning and parks. All of this was established under Provincial legislation, so what is the Township of Langley up to Now?

The News:

I am in receipt of inside information from a confidential source that the Township of Langley has sent a letter to the Provincial Government requesting its departure from Metro Vancouver and joining with Abbotsford to set up a NEW Regional District. The Township has further stated that they want to stay with Metro Vancouver for Sewer, Water and Parks. It is interesting that what they want to be excluded from is the planning function i.e. the Regional Growth Strategy. We want what we want but to hell with everything else! Wouldn’t life be great if we could pick and choose that way? Absolutely bizarre, but why should we be surprised by this group. They just continue to embarrass themselves.

Reason for serious concern! – It is interesting to me that this clearly came about because of the dispute over the Wall development proposal (69 Townhouses smack in the middle of a large piece of quality agricultural property) and the controversial University District which has been in the planning stages for years. Now, despite their unanimous approval of the RGS at the Metro Board level here they are trying to do an end run around the previously adopted RGS.

It is also interesting to note that our MLA Rich Coleman came out very vocally against Metro Vancouver and it’s RGS despite the fact Metro Vancouver Directors were following Provincial Legislation. Why would he be interfering? Here we go again with the Rich Coleman school of bullying tactics that seem to have become common place in the affairs of the Township and the Province. Just today we see two full Rich Coleman pages in the Langley Advance with endorsements from the likes of Councilor Charlie Fox and former Mayor Kurt Alberts. Do we start to see the connection?

Now lets’ not forget The Walls are strong Liberal supporters and strong Christy Clark supporters. Rich Coleman told me personally in 2008 (a conversation I described in detail in my first BLOG Post on this site and one I would swear an affidavit over) that THEY (Who are they? The elite? The TOL establishment?) but he says THEY are OK with the property deals. Now let’s see what we have; a letter to the Province (would this not to have had to be dealt with by cabinet?) with Rich Coleman carrying heavy influence on a subject he is already publicly identified with. Could Rich Coleman have had anything to do with this move? Just asking the question?

The local media are also on record as supporting Rich Coleman’s comment that Metro should effectively stay out of our business. Well this is further proof THEY (the local media) don’t know what they are talking about. Taking this to its illogical conclusion, Metro Vancouver should ignore any urban containment boundaries between Urban and ALR and sit back while we grow in an ad-hoc fashion with little or no control. This move would be absolutely asinine!

So where on earth is this Council coming from or going?

Once again their arrogance is only exceeded by their stupidity! Consider….

The supply of municipal services such as Water and Sewer are essential to growth in the region. Good planning is essential for the planning of those same Water and Sewer services. You cannot separate those components (Water / Sewer / Planning) for a well-planned region; whether that is for a University District or a Townhouse Development.

The Metro Vancouver Region is world class and world renowned for its quality of life. This reputation is well deserved and has been well earned through a very concerted effort by past Provincial and Municipal Governments. This move that is being attempted by the Township of Langley is nothing more than a self-serving attempt by special interests.

Now does the region have it’s problems? Absolutely! We have to continue to perfect our model with a heavy emphasis on Transportation. It is incumbent on all elected officials throughout the region, Federal, Provincial and Municipal to commit themselves to solving this and assorted other problems. Transportation is the region’s biggest issue. I might add, the Provincial Liberal Government despite an endless number of initiatives by Mayors in the region have been an abject failure with Translink. Establishing another Regional District because someone in the Township or elsewhere doesn’t like losing control over development is absurd! I can only wonder who would ultimately benefit?

This is once again a poorly thought out action that this Council is gaining a reputation for, a knee jerk move, poorly thought out!

This Council owes the residents of the Township of Langley an explanation. Who made this decision? Based on what input? Legal? Cost? Planning? The questions are endless!!!

OH and by the way, in case you were wondering I will go out on a limb and suggest that this attempt has NO chance of succeeding, and while Mayor Froese is putting on a public display of his complete lack of experience and no ability or willingness to work within the same rules as all other Cities and Municipalities in the region, sanity will prevail. You have to ask the question, who is pulling the strings? If we follow what is going on I believe the answer to that question is painfully obvious. As a taxpayer I can only hope that the Township of Langley will settle this dispute with Metro Vancouver before anymore legal bills are racked up on such a ridiculous exercise!

My next Post later next week will be – Soil Deposit on Agricultural Land – A non-farm use “Out of Control”

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