Editor,
An open letter to White Rock city council, mayor:
First, I would like to say that a major decision like relocating city hall should not be decided by seven people out of a population of 22,000. I understand that council is our elected body, but this is a huge expenditure and should be decided by a referendum by the people that will be paying for it, with a full cost analysis and disclosure of all impact studies, in a concise manner that everyone can easily read and understand.
The current location of city hall is great and seems to work for the residents of White Rock. Firehall, police station, library, daycare, civil services all in one location, and in a part of town that has not yet been overcrowded so it’s easily accessible.
The proposal to relocate to the old gas station beside the playhouse is ridiculous. That part of town is already congested with traffic, very limited parking, lots of pedestrians, and now you want to bring all of the extra traffic that would go along with city hall up there? And then what, build more ugly high- or lowrise buildings on the current site, ruining that part of town for everyone that lives there?
Sometimes it’s OK to renovate and upgrade and maybe add a storey or two, instead of constantly tearing down and rebuilding bigger, “better," uglier. Doesn’t sound very environmentally friendly to me.
Please, give us all a break, to our wallets, our patience, and our eyeballs.
B. Jakob, White Rock
