LangleyAdvance
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Thursday, July 12, 2012
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Environment
Glen Valley forest sale axed Langley Township gave in to public sentiment and will not sell some of its forest lands.
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Faced with a sea of greenclad North Langley residents, Township council threw out its plans to sell some of its forests in Glen Valley. The compromise means that a 21-acre section of land at 84th Avenue and 252nd Street will be kept in Township hands, Mayor Jack Froese announced at Monday night’s council meeting. “I wanted to thank the hundreds of residents who have written to us, Facebooked, emailed, called, and signed petitions to bring their concerns to our attention,” Froese said. The Township will keep trying to sell a 25 acre section of five lots, near 84th Avenue and 260th Street and north of an old gravel pit. However, the first round of bids for those lands were More rejected, and Photos staff will be making the rounds of Online prospective buyers again trying to get a better price. Five Langley residents had been scheduled to speak that night urging the council not to sell the land, and they had brought petitions with hundreds of additional names. The speakers mixed thanks for not selling the western lands, with determination to see the land permanently protected. “This easily could have gone a different way,” said Scott Perry. Perry had gathered signatures against the land sale at recent Canada Day celebrations. “We are determined to continue until such time as this is made… a park for generations to come,” said Stuart Bucholtz. “I think common sense ruled, once you people came down and saw there was a part of the world outside of this building,” said Albert Anderson, who lives near the forest. Anderson had urged councillors to visit the land before making a decision, and had showed several of them around the site personally. “Leave it as a natural park and don’t spend a whole lot of money on it,” he added. Hilary Ruffini referred to the
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A 21-acre site in Glen Valley is thick with mature trees, ferns, and huckleberry, and is laced with paths and bike jumps created by locals over the decades. site as one created by 90 years of the Township enough money to “wonderful neglect.” move forward. By not selling the heavHe also talked about seeing the ily forested western lands, the site for himself. Township will find itself approxi“I think it’s beautiful,” Froese mately $2 million short in its said. “The thing is, Langley is plans to buy the Aldergrove blessed with a lot of beautiful Elementary site and build a new land.” recreation Froese also said the centre there, presence of two RCMP “I think it’s beautiful. Froese said. officers in the council He encourchambers during the The thing is, Langley aged those early part of the meetis blessed with a lot of ing was at council’s who have fought to save request. beautiful land.” the properties At the last meeting, Jack Froese to help raise two weeks ago, there money for that was some disruption project. linked to an audience member That project will ultimately who did not have a direct coninclude a new pool and an ice nection to the issue and does not arena for the neighbourhood. live in North Langley. After the meeting, Froese said There was a discussion at the that there is a hope that the sale end of the last June meeting of the remaining lands will get about banning that individual
from meetings. No ban was put in place, according to the mayor, but that person did not attend Monday’s meeting. Froese said that while there were a large number of people expected at the meeting and emotions were running somewhat high, he was not worried about the people of Glen Valley or those concerned about the forests issue. There had been no threatening communication to council on the matter, he said. The officers were invited to get a feel for the crowd, and they left long before the meeting concluded.