On Aug 24/09, Mission council voted unanimously to support a developer to enter into negotiations with DFO to bury two streams and flatten the surrounding ravine ecosystem in order to enlarge the footprint of a strip mall on the Lougheed Highway, near Wren Street.   This habitat destruction requires a variance from Mission’s one and only environmental protection bylaw called Streamside Protection Regulations (SPR) which would have protected the area.  Council’s chose to support the developer’s request despite a large turnout of concerned local residents who presented passionate pleas to preserve this environmentally sensitive area which is home to abundant wildlife and functions as a neighbourhood park for their children.  Residents also alerted council to slope stability concerns and submitted a petition of 110 names opposed to the variance. Instead of standing behind their SPR bylaw, Council is deferring the decision to DFO, knowing full well that fisheries values are likely not high enough in the 2 streams for DFO to object. It was very discouraging to witness the lack of care or compassion by council towards these residents- reminiscent of the contempt demonstrated towards concerned residents of Silverdale during the 8 day long genstar public hearing.  Sadly, this council seems to have adopted a stance of enduring public hearings, rather than listening to Mission residents, and has become well rehearsed in disregarding the public interest in order to facilitate development at any cost. CAUSS asks “Why hold public hearings if council is not willing to be guided by what the public says? Why have a environmental protection bylaw if council doesn’t stand behind it?”

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Has the Genstar bailout already begun? Not one of the council who voted in favour was able to answer CAUSS’ questions relating to a late item “escrow” agreement between Mission and Genstar/Madison development corporations Aug 4/09. Was council just playing dumb or was it the real thing?   According to a staff report on that night’s agenda, Council has placed a principal “agricultural use” on the Genstar lands in the upcoming zoning bylaw, despite these lands being designated “urban” March 2/09 when the bylaw was adopted.  Such a designation is argued to be appropriate despite implications of millions in tax revenue lost to the District.  While staff try to argue that Genstar has agreed to reimburse Mission if they achieve farm status (why not just pay the urban taxes directly?), according to Dennis Clark, no actual taxation agreement with the developers exists. How can Mission justify such an unprecedented sweetheart deal with the developers given recent escalations in Mission property taxes (5.8%), talk of a gas tax increase for the District (3%), significant increases in water and sewer costs to its citizens (15%) and recent disclosure that mission only has 1 million of the 3 million needed just to maintain our current road system? Apparently the adage you can’t have your cake and eat it too does not apply to the cozy relationship between the Silverdale developers and Mission.

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