Dear Editor:
As someone who lives in Lynn Valley, I have been watching the progress of the proposed new housing planned for Emery Village and the discussion that has gone on in your paper the last few months. I felt it was important to hear from others living and raising their families in this community.
Our family moved here in 2011 to live near the parks and mountains of the North Shore, but also to be close to the urban conveniences in Lynn Valley and the City of Vancouver. It’s this balance that makes Lynn Valley a desirable place to live for many. We felt it was the perfect place to raise our kids and couldn’t be happier with our choice.
Unfortunately, there is not enough housing in this community to accommodate this growth. This includes rental housing, single family houses, townhomes and apartments. When we moved here, most of the few options that were available to rent for a growing family were old and rundown, and our opportunity to purchase a home was limited. If my children want to live here when they become adults, they will likely need housing options different from our current single-family home. When we decide to downsize, we would like to be able to stay in this neighbourhood. Mosaic’s proposed plan for the redevelopment of Emery Village is good for our community as it will provide more rental housing than exists today as well as homes for young people and older citizens in a walkable community. From what I can tell, this is the first development to add substantial rental properties (including below market rentals) along with housing stock so that more people can have affordable options to raise their families in this community.
Regarding proposed changes to Kirkstone Park, I don’t understand the controversy. Contrary to what has been implied, the developer is not building a road through the park. They appear to be following the community plan which was initiated in 2011 and updated over the past seven years. The district is requiring the developer to improve an existing pathway that leads to the park making Kirkstone more accessible in a safer environment. The new roads being built near the park are the roads the community approved through our OCP process. It also appears that Mosaic plans to donate some of the land to grow the park and add a second entry point through Emery Village. In my opinion, these changes will improve mobility through Lynn Valley and improve access to Kirkstone Park.
Lastly, it appears the developer will be providing a community amenity contribution of $11.9 million, money that can be well used to improve such things as infrastructure, community and recreation facilities, parks, greenways, cultural facilities and accessibility. All key components to supporting a vibrant and growing community.
We have lived in Lynn Valley for the last seven years and although there has been substantial change, for the most part the change has been positive and fosters an improved community for inevitably more people to enjoy. As we look forward to the vision set out in the OCP for Lynn Valley, projects such as Emery Place should be embraced by the community.
Ben Sporer
Lynn Valley
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