Cameron Wigmore: Green Party Member

July 7, 2008

Stop Cable Bay boundary extension before Aug 5th

I recently phoned city hall about this controversial development and “negative option” approval process being used to bypass voter involvement. To be clear, the actual development isn’t what’s being voted on; the expansion of the city boundary to include this resort and golf course is the subject. It’s the developer who wants the city boundary expanded and our council has basically made sure that the developer will get their way. This is a big deal because it allows further sprawling of the city, and shows that Nanaimo isn’t serious about sustainable development and urban renewal through increasing population density.

It will take a decade to get proper transit service (as the RDN suggests) if the city doesn’t invest in building up the residential, commercial and industrial areas that already exist WITHIN the city limits. By expanding city limits and allowing developments to GROW our city, they prevent our central Nanaimo population from being concentrated enough to support ½ hr bus wait times instead of the current hour long wait between most busses.

If you wish to get more information you can call Bruce Anderson, Manager of Community Planning at 755-4483. Contact your city council to let them know what you think of this: http://www.nanaimo.ca/cityhall/index_inside.asp?id=213&collection=57

Click on the link below to get the elector response form that you can print and submit, or phone city hall at 250-755-4405 to have them mail it to you.
http://www.nanaimo.ca/uploadedfiles/Site_Structure/Corporate_Services/Corporate_Administration/StatutoryAAPPublicNotice.pdf

In the news:
City Deserves Better Effort
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/nanaimonewsbulletin/opinion/23202169.html

Residents hope to stop project
http://www.canada.com/harbourcitystar/news/story.html?id=98be0e77-5e58-4bba-a800-b30c147967b6

2 comments:

camsax@gmail.com said...: Roger McKinnon, Director of Sales for Cable Bay Golf Resort & Spa makes his case for a golf course and resort by listing the ways the land under current RU4 zoning could be developed. He forgot to list agriculture, as in food crops. If the project goes ahead, we will be developing land that could have been used to grow food locally.

The golf course developer Gary Browning is trying to be green by committing to use rain water, but this golf course will also use on-site wells, and even city water when the weather is dry. I suspect it will use a substantial amount of city water.

They will be using cosmetic pesticides. I understand that the golf course designer will be using pesticides that are endorsed by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency, but that is of little comfort. At least 50 active pesticide ingredients registered for use in Canada have been banned in other countries due to health or environmental concerns.

The same cosmetic benefits can be achieved by alternative non-pesticide methods, but that is apparently too green for this golf course. In 2003, the Ontario College of Family Physicians published a scientific literature review that showed “consistent links to serious illnesses, such as cancer, reproductive problems and neurological diseases” associated with chronic pesticide exposure. While many cities and even the provinces of Ontario and Quebec have enacted bans on cosmetic pesticides, golf courses have strangely been allowed to carry on using toxic chemicals to make their grass look good.

A golf course that takes away agricultural land, consumes city water and introduces pesticides is one that I don't want in my city.

REFERENCES:

The ugly truth about cosmetic pesticides
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/about_us/Dr_David_Suzuki/Article_Archives/weekly03280801.asp

Cable Bay Golf Course Designed To Audubon Society Standards (press release)
http://insidegolf.ca/content/view/103094/483/

RDN Rural 4 zoning (page 64)
http://www.rdn.bc.ca/cms/wpattachments/wpID1419atID2315.pdf; 4:39 p.m.
camsax@gmail.com said...: I just phoned Roger McKinnon, Director of Sales for Cable Bay Golf Resort & Spa, and spoke with him at length about his planned development.

He is a courteous and reasonable fellow, and I'm grateful that he took the time to speak with me. Roger listened to my concerns, and I heard his case for their efforts in this community, and the perceived "need" for another golf course.

My problems with this development still stand:

1. this is an expansion and further sprawling of the city, rather than a densification and urban renewal of Nanaimo. I was told there is no where within city limits to build this project, but that's not an excuse to do it anyway on the outskirts.

2. This development is rezoning local agricultural land and turning it into a resort and golf course.

3. The golf course will likely use huge amounts of city water

4. The golf course will likely use chemical pesticides.; 4:39 p.m.