Editor,
Margaret Ann's letter of Feb. 20 lays out exactly the reasons why I, too, think White Rock council can not decide the future of city hall based merely on a simply majority council vote.
Perhaps some council members didn't live in White Rock then or weren't paying particular attention to that time in 2018 when the then city council decided to buy this property. This was after residents, stakeholders and the City recognized that the Town Centre should include much needed green space and, so, worked to create a vision for the Town Centre with this in mind.
From the City of White Rock's own website, it expropriated the property to "fulfill long standing community vision" for a creation of a Town Square. It also states that "the acquisition of this property is an investment which will benefit generations to come. It is the first step towards providing White Rock with a publicly owned, pedestrian-friendly Town Square in the Town Centre."
It is a monumental decision affecting White Rock's biggest civic asset, the current city hall lands. Given the long-term implications, this council has no choice but to let White Rock voters have their say, via a referendum, on where they think their new city hall should reside.
Keith Knightson
