Unacceptable behaviour
In recent months there has been a consistent effort on the part of the RMOW to portray the residents of the SLRD as freeloading parasites sucking the blood from Whistler taxpayers. While it was somewhat humorous initially, I must now set the record straight as things have clearly gone sideways, as evidenced by RMOW’s decision to walk away from the SLRD planning process last week.
First, we are your parents; we are what you came from. All of the initial services in the original community of Alta Lake were provided by the SLRD. How is it then that we are now being vilified as Johnny come lately to the development gravy train, when we were here first? My apologies to aboriginal communities.
Second, we are your closest neighbours and as such share with you our daily experiences. A good number of us contribute significantly to the ongoing success of Whistler and have for many years. We are your friends and relatives and yes... we are guilty of shopping in your stores, eating and drinking in your restaurants and skiing on your mountains. Typically in the rest of Canada, Whistler would be known as a regional service area and the commerce that would bring would be considered to be of benefit to all sectors.
The communities of Black Tusk and Pinecrest are excellent examples of independent, vibrant satellite neighbourhoods that are essentially self sufficient in terms of most services. We have our own community hall, beaches and tennis courts. We successfully operate our own satellite TV rebroadcasting system and our own wireless Internet service. We have our own dedicated volunteer fire department, roads and utility contractors and operate our own sewage treatment plants. Contrary to recent concerns expressed by the RMOW that independent communities could not be relied upon to keep their sewage plants operational, both Black Tusk and Pinecrest have each completed modernization of their independent sewage treatment plants in recent months, as is their legal obligation under provincial statutes.
According to our B.C. Tax Assessments we pay our share of school taxes, hospital taxes in both Lillooet and Squamish and contribute our share to the Whistler Public Library. With the exception of landfill, which could also be rectified with similar assessments, where does the charge of freeloading come in?
So quit the rhetoric about down valley sprawl and rogue developments on the fringe of Whistler. Recognize that SLRD landowners and taxpayers also have rights through fair rezoning process. Remember that not all SLRD residents were in favour of the developments at Whistler at the outset. Arguably these developments have altered SLRD residents’ lives significantly more than what the current 64 lot subdivision north of Whistler will do to residents of the RMOW.
The abrupt deterioration of a working relationship since Hugh O’Reilly left a year ago is symptomatic of Whistler’s descent into the political realm of governance by principle. The often quoted Regional Growth Strategy is not what it claims to be and the principles of Smart Growth are subject to interpretation. The political reality is that the potential for environmentally appropriate development does, in fact, exist in a number of locations close to Whistler’s political boundaries, even if the RMOW is successful in expanding those boundaries.
As your neighbours we are happy for your success and respect your decision to make prudent land use decisions within your political boundaries. We have always looked to the RMOW to participate as one of a number of community members at the SLRD in examining issues that may also be of concern to you and the other members. The challenge is to identify those issues and create strategies to manage acceptable growth over the next decades. Unfortunately, the decisions will not always be to your liking but that is just part of living in a family. Abandoning the process and revoking your financial commitments because you did not get your way is simply not acceptable. The same can be said about slagging your neighbours and friends.
Brad Sills
Black Tusk Village
You’re invited
The letter to the editor from Mr. Alvarez (For These Things We Give Thanks, Pique Sept. 7) is a reminder that at least one local business may not have noticed the recent ads requesting Expressions of Interest regarding the RMOW's Trademark Licensing program.
On Aug. 17 and again on Aug. 24, the RMOW ran ads in both local publications "requesting expressions of interest from producers of unique and distinct products who are interested in being reviewed as potential licensees in the RMOW's Trademark Licensing program".
The ads did not run in any publication outside Whistler. The ads were targeted at local businesses who wish to be considered as Licensees.
The REOI is also available on www.whistler.ca/Business/Tenders_and_RFPs/ and must be submitted to [email protected] by noon on Friday, Sept. 15, 2006.
John A. Rae
RMOW
Manager Strategic Alliances & Marketing
Wedge issue around for years
I am compelled to write regarding the recent SLRD decision involving the Wedge property north of Whistler. I have watched this ticking time bomb unfold over time and it is unfortunate that it seems to have caused such a serious division in the corridor. However, I feel that the truth must be told.
This 565-acre parcel was sold to the current owner in 2000. At that time it was zoned for 20-acre parcels and 28 lots were allowed. This zoning had been in place for years. In 2003 The SLRD adopted a new zoning bylaw # 765 which allowed that up to four homes could be built on each 20-acre parcel. This new zoning now allowed 112 homes on this property. The new zoning was a blanket change that affected a great number of properties throughout the regional district.
During all of 2002 and 2003 the SLRD reviewed and prepared Zoning Bylaw 765, which effectively up zoned this property from 28 lots to 112 lots. Throughout that period the Resort Municipality of Whistler had full representation at the SLRD board table and plenty of opportunity to comment, but failed to say a word. Recently the balance of these properties have been rezoned to minimum 100 acre parcels, but this parcel, due to the fact that it was actively under development work, stayed the same.
The RMOW has, since its inception, tried to limit development on its borders. Pinecrest and Black Tusk were opposed many years ago as was the recent approval of a campsite at Brandywine. Unfortunately Whistler has done a poor job of effectively communicating its reasons for wanting to limit development in these areas. People outside Whistler see Whistler complaining about development in other jurisdictions while development continues in Whistler.
I think it is a little late in the day for Whistler to be crying foul about the Wedge development as it has been staring them in the face for years. Whistler’s cap on development has taken the pressure off Whistler and forced it onto the regional district who, unlike Whistler, has limited resources. The fact is, the zoning was always there in some form and Whistler chose to ignore it, until now.
Drew Meredith
Pemberton
Where does the money go?
I would like to echo the sentiments of Mr. Alvarez regarding
the RMOW's sustainability binge. One of a long list of binges. To put it
bluntly, the RMOW has for a long time spent, and still continues to spend, tax
dollars like they are going out of style.
I don't even want to know how much has been spent on studies,
consultants and various sustainability information-gathering groups. It is in
the millions, but the exact number really does not matter right now because it's
gone.
Perhaps the time has now come to spend some of your hard earned
tax dollars on what is truly a much-needed study, one on the inner workings of
the RMOW. What works, what does not work, who works, who does not work, where
the money drains are and how to turn them off. The mayor and council owe the
taxpayers at least that much after throwing yet another million taxpayer
dollars away on the latest fiasco deciding not to build the sledge hockey
arena.
The RMOW sometimes has a siege mentality when anyone outside
the walls questions how and why they do things as they do. Well, those outside
the walls pay the bills and they deserve to know the hows and whys of where
their hard earned tax dollars go.
Let’s have an independent audit now, because there is a lot of
cash flowing through the RMOW and the view from the outside is that there
doesn't seem to be very many controls on how it is spent or who spends it.
The auditor general is pretty good at that, perhaps someone
should give that office a call.
Don Goodall
Whistler
The facts about Tourism Whistler’s role
As a not-for-profit, member-based organization, Tourism
Whistler encourages and embraces diversity of opinion, as we believe this
fosters new ideas and creativity; generates healthy debate; and ultimately
makes us stronger as both a community and as a tourism destination.
We would therefore like to see the Pique continue to stimulate
community dialogue through its robust Letter to the Editor section,
and
urge you to ensure published letters are
based on factually-accurate information.
A recent published letter was disturbing, not because of its
opinion of various community-based and government organizations, but because of
its misinformation o
n
the roles of those
organizations
,
and other factual inaccuracies
throughout the letter.
As a result, we wanted to take this opportunity to outline
Tourism Whistler’s role in the community:
• not-for-profit
,
member-based
organization
,
representing commercial
(accommodation, activity, retail, restaurant and other service businesses) and
residential sectors
;
• consumer-driven marketing and sales organization, promoting
Whistler as the premier year-round mountain destination of choice
;
• responsible for driving room nights, and thereby economic
activity to the whole Resort
;
• responsible for operating the Telus Whistler Conference
Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, Whistler Activity Centre,
Whistler.com and 1-800 Whistler
;
• established under the provincial government’s Resort
Municipality of Whistler Act, but operates autonomously from all levels of
government
;
• overseen by an independent member-elected Board of Directors,
with representation from a cross-section of community sectors
.
We appreciate the Pique setting the record straight, and look
forward to continued participation in meaningful community dialogue.
Barrett Fisher
President
Tourism Whistler
Pemberton Library book sale a success
Three cheers for the book lovers of Pemberton & District!
Last Friday’s (Sept. 8 th ) book sale proved it: people in Pemberton and the surrounding area love our library. They came and browsed, found books for their children, teens or their friends. And they donated generously.
The Bank of Nova Scotia let us use their store front space and staff helped our many volunteer Friends of the Library to make this another success story: proceeds came to roughly $2,000 — the amount which will be matched by the Bank of Nova Scotia.
A heartfelt thanks to our community, to our volunteer Friends of the Library, our library staff and members of the board. You donated more than 100 boxes of books. Our volunteers sorted, packed and transported them, then set up tables and tents, took turns to help our patrons, finally packed and cleaned up. Hugh Naylor and George Brooks deserve special mention for an amazingly dedicated effort. All others please understand that we cannot list you individually — our appreciation is deep, our thanks most sincere. See you next year!
Renate Williams
Chair of Fundraising Committee and Trustee
Pemberton & District Public Library
About that space
Re: London Drugs anxious to open store in Whistler (Pique Sept.
7)
This article contained some misleading information with respect
to the current and proposed zoning of the lower level of the Whistler Village
Centre. The current zoning, labelled “TA8”, allows a number of different uses
in the lower level of the Whistler Village Centre, including movie theatres,
restaurants, entertainment (nightclubs), offices, storage and indoor
recreation. Therefore, calling the current zoning “indoor recreation” is
incorrect, as it is just one of half a dozen permitted uses for this area. Some
of the permitted uses contain certain conditions for them to be allowed to
operate in the lower level of the Whistler Village Centre. For example, an
entertainment (nightclub) use is only permitted if there is a full service
restaurant in operation. Also, for this, as well as for office and storage uses
to be allowed, at least 3,000 square feet must be used or available for indoor
recreation and half the total area of the space must be being used for indoor
recreation and/or a movie theatre. Currently, these conditions are being met by
the Village 8 Cinemas and the video arcade.
The current zoning has been in place since 2002, when the
council of that day, which included the current mayor, voted unanimously in
favour of the amendment, likely recognizing the changing needs of the community
and the limited appetite by the general public for indoor recreation, as
confirmed by the number of indoor recreation businesses in Whistler that failed
in the past.
Contrary to the article and much popular opinion, the owner of
the premises has not applied to rezone the property, but to merely amend the
text of the current zoning by adding retail as an additional permitted use to
those already allowed. Should council approve the application, the movie
theatres and indoor recreation currently in place will stay and retail will
hopefully fill the remainder of the space that has been vacant for over five
years since the demise of the last attempt at indoor recreation.
The owner of the premises, along with London Drugs and the
majority of Whistler residents (as recently surveyed), hope that council
supports the application to add retail as a permitted use so that the needs of
the residents and visitors can be better served in Whistler, thus curtailing
the loss of retail sales caused by many residents and visitors shopping outside
of the municipality for their goods and services. Without providing a broader
product, service and price range in Whistler, the leakage of retail sales from
Whistler will likely only increase once Wal-Mart and Home Depot open nearby in
Squamish.
Jonathan Lazar
Director, Commercial Property
Maple Leaf Property Management