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There’s literally nowhere for their kids to go, let alone our kids. Development
Residents take growth battle into own hands Amy Reid
Now staff Twitter @amyreid87
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top building in Panorama – there’s simply no space for more kids in schools. That’s the message two community groups hope the city embraces. The Panorama Neighbourhood Association (PNA) and South Newton Community group (SNC) have joined forces to voice their opposition to a proposed 287-unit development on a 2.5-acre lot at the southeast corner of 152nd Avenue and Panorama Drive. They’re asking the developer to go back to the drawing board and come back with something that doesn’t impact local schools. More than 100 people attended
an open house for the Panorama project Monday night at the Tong Louie YMCA. The lineup was out the door. “Tonight I hope the developer hears us loud and clearly and goes back to the drawing table or proposes to resell the property,” said Cindy Dalglish, with PNA and SNC. “I’d like this to stall out for a while until the province gives us funding for schools,” she added. While parking and traffic issues are also of concern, Dalglish said they don’t hold a candle to the school overcrowding woes. Dalglish first took up the cause when there was talk of downsizing the French Immersion program at Woodward Hill Elementary to build seats for English students due
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Cindy Dalglish: “I hope the developer hears us loud and clearly.” (Photo: AMY REID) to capacity issues. “From there it snowballed,” she said, as parents involved realized this was just the tip of the iceberg. “I feel bad for the developer because it’s kind of poor timing,” remarked Dalglish. “If (the developer) came in two years from now when schools are announced you’d barely get a boo out of us. It’s because there’s literally nowhere for their kids to go, let alone our kids,” she said. Steve Henderson, vice president of the PNA, said it’s “negligent of the city to allow these things to go through knowing full well schools are already at capacity and that there’s nothing in the pipeline to address that.” Planned expansions are only to address current capacity issues,
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noted Henderson, not any new students that may arrive. “The city, we think, needs to start showing a little bit more of a leadership role in planning the neighbourhoods as opposed to rubber stamping everything developers put in front of them,” said Henderson. “We’d like to see a little bit more outside-the-box thinking and more creative development, especially with this prime piece of property.” Dalglish and Henderson praised Surrey school trustee Laurae McNally’s recent call for a development freeze in areas experiencing school overcrowding. “I think the city has a leadership role here as opposed to just pointing to the province,” said Henderson.
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The proposed Redekop Homes development, at 5750 Panorama Dr., includes 181 townhomes (originally 198), 106 apartment suites, a commercial plaza and a public park. To move ahead, the developer needs the city to approve an Official Community Plan amendment from commercial to multiple residential, a Neighbourhood Community Plan amendment from institutional to commercial, density increases and more. At a council meeting on March 7, the city referred the application back to staff so the developer could address concerns surrounding density and the potential negative impact to local schools, as well as a lack of indoor amenity space. see DEVELOPER › page 6
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Neighbourhood groups give developer earful as area schools burst at the seams