Tuesday February 9th, 2010 - Citizens of Coquitlam Question Abrupt Change in Zoning to Golf Course and Park Lands

Is the city of Coquitlam going to lose its Westwood Plateau Golf Course?  What about its other open green spaces such as Town Centre Park, Glen Park, Mackin Park and Blue Mountain?  Are developers trying to do an end run around the desires of the general public?

Those are just some of the questions floating around this British Columbia town at present.   It seems the city council has been changing land use designations on some of the open green areas in the city from Conservation/Recreation to General Urban use.  At the same time, city council is stating that there are no plans to develop the areas.  If that is so why the change in use zoning?

Mayor Richard Stewart is advising residents not to worry. But residents are worried that these abrupt changes in land use zoning will threaten those green spaces as well as others, particularly smaller municipal parks that cover less than 10 hectares.  These little bits of green may be small, but they are much prized by the communities that surround them.

Citizens don’t trust the city council and are not reassured by memos from this council stating that development will not happen.  Coquitlam residents are poised to fight back.  A public hearing has been requested by the Westwood Plateau Community Association to address these issues.  Petitions have been circulated and a Facebook group page has been started to increase awareness about the issue.  Coquitlam has not yet agreed to the meeting, but to save face, and to rebuild public confidence, it just may have to.

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