familiar with the issues here know that the same handful of people have done nothing but offer negative remarks but little in the way of productive and constructive solutions for our community.The comical thing is that some of the people mentioned are NOT Fort Langley residents, but portraying themselves as Fort Langley residents possibly to add to their credibility? To set the record straight, Doug McFee, Larri Woodrow, Bays and Bob Blackhall and Keith Robertson who all identify themselves as "Friends of the TransCanada Trail" are NOT residents of Fort Langley.
We would also like to set the record straight by saying that any claims of promises broken by ParkLane Homes are equally false and misleading. Statements by these folks show a complete disconnect in what they support and embrace. Just look at this:
Province Article:
"We wanted a vibrant and lively area along the riverside, not a quiet residential space"...said Smith.
Langley Times Article:
"The original development was sold on a vision of rural, riverside and peaceful," said Rodney Blackwell, chair of the Fort Langley Community Association.
and
"Bedford Landing was not supposed to overwhelm the rest of the village. We don't want a busy urban development and that's what this will do." Rodney Blackwell
Which is it you want folks? Vibrant and lively or peaceful?
HistoryParkLane purchased this land from forestry group Interfor, that once ran a sawmill on this old Fort Langley property site. Prior to the purchase, Interfor was looking for a rezoning and made some promises to the Township in exchange for the rezoning.
Following the sale (and being good corporate citizens), ParkLane Homes as new owners sought to provide the community with amenities and develop a quality community. Of the 80 acres, ParkLane preserved roughly half or 40 acres as dedicated green space, conservation areas and linear parks (trails).
Interfor committed to provide resources ($250K - $300K) to upgrade facilities for both the Rowing Club and Canoe Club that are active on the river. ParkLane inherited this promise and together with the Township of Langley developed facilities for these two clubs that make others envious. In the end, ParkLane Homes spent far more than the original Interfor commitment of $250K - $300K. You can hardly call this a broken promise, can you?
Caring for Pedestrians
Interfor had committed to the Township for provision of a pedestrian overpass to enhance the usability and attractiveness of the riverfront. ParkLane inherited this commitment and will soon provide funding for a $1M pedestrian overpass. What promise was broken here?
The Rowing Club, Kwantlen First Nations and the Township saw a huge need to do a commercial dredge of the Bedford Channel to help cleanse this waterway and enhance recreation here. It was estimated at that time that a commercial dredge would cost approximately $2M !!
Bedford Channel Dredge Costly
The Township went to ParkLane regarding the commercial dredge. The company crunched the numbers and had a very difficult time finding a business case to help the ToL. They wanted to, but the huge price tag made it far from economically viable. The ToL reviewed the approvals and realized that basements were not approved for some Bedford Landing homes. The ToL offered ParkLane approval of some basements in exchange for the commercial dredge. ParkLand agreed that this would make things more economically viable and a partnership was struck, with the ToL offering $50K, GVRD $50K and the Provincial Government putting in abother $100K in grants. Again the final bill to ParkLane Homes was more than the estimated $2M and the company installed a self-scouring system for an additional $500K. Another broken promise here perhaps? Hardly.
While the Township has approved legal secondary suites, much of the basement homes in Bedford Landing do not have secondary suites as this group of critics claim. But the offering of basements for recreation rooms, spare bedroom or a home theatre helped ParkLane offset the cost of this huge community gift of the deeper channel.
An Attractive Adult Community Area
Interfor committed to "senior housing" that could only be purchased by "seniors". There is currently no Bylaw in the Township of Langley that specifies any specific age for "senior housing". The Bylaw is vague in that regard. Again, ParkLane homes honoured this promise by building some apartments that were marketed to folks 45 years of age and old. NO Township Bylaw required this. The reality is, most people who purchased this product are at least 55 years of age (empty nesters), with many being 65 and over. No promise broken here that we can see!
Smaller Footprint - More Landscaping
The original Interfor approval called for a 3 story building with 100 apartments and 8 townhouses in the original plan. ParkLane presented Township Council with a proposal for 4 stories and only 78 units. The critics complain and claim that ParkLane is trying to "squeeze every last drop of profit" out of this land. Yet, the current 78 units have a smaller footprint than the original plan for 100 units and 8 townhouses. Imagine that!
The Hotel That Shouldn't
Interfor hired a consultant to design their original development. This consultant drew up some grand plans for a waterfront area and hotel with 90 rooms. The same consultant developed similar plans for a waterfront project in Pitt Meadows. The developer in Pitt Meadows crunched the numbers and looked at usage and determined it was not economically viable.
Economic Realism Or Do They Want A Casino in Fort Langley?
ParkLane Homes like any company in these hard economic times must review all developments to ensure their plans align with market conditions. No one has any crystal ball to say when this economic downturn will change, or how well it will recover. So, ParkLane reviewed the old hotel proposal from the former Interfor consultant, spoke with some hotel chains and people in the business, looked at visitor figures and choices of accommodation (bed & breakfast), and have determined that a hotel in this development is NOT economically viable. Has ParkLane really done anything wrong in sidelining plans for what could be a very large and ugly white elephant visible from the roadway and the waterfront? We think not.
Despite having a 24-hour casino and a convention centre, the Coast Hotel in Langley City is only 77 rooms. How on earth can any economy support the building of 90 room in Fort Langley?
We could go on, but we think our readers are wise enough to read between the lines on this one. Given the fact that Doug McFee and his group made a delegation to Township Council last year to criticize ParkLane Homes for a waterfront development plan that was YET to be issued at that time, the claims of promises broken is very unfounded to put it politely.
We MUST conclude that ParkLane Homes should be commended for their fine corporate citizenship in our community and their follow-through on the promises made by others. ParkLane has been building nothing but quality products at all price ranges, making them affordable for people in Langley. They have contributed greatly to the cleansing and viability of waterways, greenways and trail systems. In very tough economic times, ParkLane Homes has not failed the majority of the residents of the Township of Langley and they continue with their commitments and generous contributions. We wish all to know the truth and to support their efforts. Let's stop bashing ParkLane Homes and the beauty that is Bedford Landing. A gem right here in the Township of Langley.
The Experts Love Bedford Landing - Imagine That!
Recently a member of our Editorial Board took some well-respect urban planners to Bedford Landing. They were amazed at the range of housing options, affordability and quality. They couldn't help but photograph every corner and housing type. They are now presenting these slides of Bedford Landing in their communities elsewhere in North America as examples of quality sustainable development. So while the world envies at our gems, a handful of critics cast these same gems around like feed for swine. Go figure!