Council's main roles are to provide good government -- the services citizens need and want, and to be good stewards of the public's assets while encouraging a positive, economic, social and environmental climate. To manage growth.
All of this takes wisdom, and patience. As in a garden, we don't let growth run wild -- we restrain things that are harmful, and we plant and nurture things we want, where we want them.
We know that to reach full health and productivity takes many years and to sustain it will take many more. When we apply this kind of careful thinking and acting to municipal government, we're creating "smart growth."
Smart growth means looking for the best long-term, downstream results -- not just a quick fix.
It means "true costing" our plans, accounting for how much this will cost all our neighbours, now and later -- not just how much we're out of pocket in this year's budget.
Smart growth means thinking, with each decision, about what kind of community we're leaving for our grandchildren -- what options we're opening for them, what doors we're closing, and what burdens we're laying on their shoulders.
I'm glad to live in a community that has the principles of Smart Growth written into its community plan. My commitment, if elected, is to follow those principles. When I was a young child growing up in New Westminster, going across the bridge to Surrey was a trip to the country. Look at what's happened in the last 50 years -- the worst kind of urban sprawl. We have an opportunity to avoid that, yet some Councillors -- and candidates -- want to make exceptions to the urban containment boundaries.
Encouraging vibrant, livable communities, with a mix of commercial and residential, including affordable housing for all ages and stages -- these are all facets of Smart Growth.
The Official Community Plan sets out "urban containment boundaries" that will preserve the rural character that makes us special, while accommodating growth. They stop leap-frog development, which is costly, both environmentally and socially.
My commitment is to encourage cost-effective, low-impact growth such as secondary suites and infill building. To streamline the approval process to support "smart growth" that creates vibrant communities, instead of spreading suburbs.
To carefully consider, with each decision, what kind of community we're leaving for our grandchildren. Whether we're closing doors for them and laying burdens on their shoulders, or opening options for them to make their future here.
All of this takes wisdom, and patience. As in a garden, we don't let growth run wild -- we restrain things that are harmful, and we plant and nurture things we want, where we want them.
We know that to reach full health and productivity takes many years and to sustain it will take many more. When we apply this kind of careful thinking and acting to municipal government, we're creating "smart growth."
Smart growth means looking for the best long-term, downstream results -- not just a quick fix.
It means "true costing" our plans, accounting for how much this will cost all our neighbours, now and later -- not just how much we're out of pocket in this year's budget.
Smart growth means thinking, with each decision, about what kind of community we're leaving for our grandchildren -- what options we're opening for them, what doors we're closing, and what burdens we're laying on their shoulders.
I'm glad to live in a community that has the principles of Smart Growth written into its community plan. My commitment, if elected, is to follow those principles. When I was a young child growing up in New Westminster, going across the bridge to Surrey was a trip to the country. Look at what's happened in the last 50 years -- the worst kind of urban sprawl. We have an opportunity to avoid that, yet some Councillors -- and candidates -- want to make exceptions to the urban containment boundaries.
Encouraging vibrant, livable communities, with a mix of commercial and residential, including affordable housing for all ages and stages -- these are all facets of Smart Growth.
The Official Community Plan sets out "urban containment boundaries" that will preserve the rural character that makes us special, while accommodating growth. They stop leap-frog development, which is costly, both environmentally and socially.
My commitment is to encourage cost-effective, low-impact growth such as secondary suites and infill building. To streamline the approval process to support "smart growth" that creates vibrant communities, instead of spreading suburbs.
To carefully consider, with each decision, what kind of community we're leaving for our grandchildren. Whether we're closing doors for them and laying burdens on their shoulders, or opening options for them to make their future here.
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