Abbotsford News, November 05, 2014

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2014

SHE’S A KEEPER

A B B O T S F O R D

Goalie Kayla Klim tends the Cascades to a silver medal at the Canada West Final Four A18

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Homeless housing site OK’d Despite opposition from neighbours, rezoning receives third reading Alex BUTLER Abbotsford News

Despite opposition from neighbours, a rezoning proposal to allow housing for the homeless on Gladys Avenue was given third reading by council on Monday. The proposal to amend the official community plan (OCP) for the city-owned site to allow for low-barrier supportive housing – which allows residents to enter without being drug- and alcohol-free, and provides support services – was discussed for about two hours at the public hearing. A majority of the speakers were in opposition to the plans for the site – located on the west side of Gladys Avenue, just north of George Ferguson Way.

Neighbours raised concerns about the potential for property crime, which many said is already common in the area; the proximity to two schools and a residential neighbourhood; impact on property values and more. Peter de Jong, a neighbour who had started a petition against the project, said residents were there out of frustration. He said council has a mandate to keep people safe and that while he applauded efforts to help the homeless, he didn’t think the project would be successful. “I would ask council to look for an alternative site.” Staff, trustees and parents of students at Dogwood School spoke of the impact of the issue of homelessness on school grounds, such as finding remnants of waste left behind on school property.

Area resident Marcelo Dudka said people come into the neighbourhood from the homeless camp on Gladys Avenue near Essendene Avenue. He said there are incidents of property crime. “It’s gotten way worse ever since that tent city went up.” He worries about his kids and said he can’t leave them outside to play by themselves. He maintained the project should go in an industrial area where there are no children. While there is no project currently slated for the site, the pre-emptive rezoning is being done with the hopes of securing provincial funding. The city had previously considered a low-barrier supportive housing project – with roughly $17 million in attached funding from the province – at 2408 Montvue Ave. across from

CABIN PLAN POSTPONED A3 Group plans to resubmit application for temporary wooden shelters for homeless

Continued on A3

Downtown train traffic rolls on

Empty coal trains expected to run through downtown Abby for at least another month. A3

CRIME FIGHTERS A16 Advocacy group and Abby senior earn crime prevention awards

RACE FOR MAYOR A5 Abbotsford’s two mayoral candidates square off in second public debate

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Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A11

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Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A18

Q Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A10 Q

Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . .A23

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Signs posted near train tracks warn drivers that delays for long trains could stretch into December.

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TYLER OLSEN Abbotsford News

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www.robertsonhearing.ca Serving Abbotsford since 1987


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