Newcastle-Brechin Open House: the Neighbourhood Speaks
Daniel Appell: Dec. 13, 2010
The city just released the consolidated comments received in response to the last open house to do with the Newcastle + Brechin Draft Neighbourhood Plan.
Of the 179 responses 84% where against high rise towers by the water in front of Brechin; 8% where in favour and 8% had no comment on that particular issue. Here is a smattering of comments:
- “I do not support the plan. I disapprove of highrises on the waterfront. The proposed densities are way too high. The plan is difficult to follow and the wording is misleading.”
- “No, No, No”
- “No to medium density and medium high density along the waterfront!”
- “I feel the way in which this process was carried was misleading. Saying a baseline of 8 storeys for Medium to High Density, but in fact the heights could be greater, 16, 18, 20 storeys. Please tell people the facts in a way they can understand – or was it your intent to hide these facts.”
- “Your plan’s bullets keep mentioning ‘view protection’ but it is pretty clear that this protection is for those people who will be living in the highrise developments along the waterfront. I am very much against any structures over 3 storeys high to be added to the existing waterfront in this area.”
It was interesting to note that while the Newcastle steering committee strongly endorses this plan, the rest of Newcastle seems as opposed to the plan as Brechin.
The unofficial city response to this was to say, “We expected some negativity.”
Apparently, the ignorance of city planners is only matched by their arrogance. The so called ‘plan’ is proceeding to PNAC with only minor changes.
What do you call a neighbourhood plan that the neighbourhood doesn’t endorse? I call it a waste of time and money.
Heads should roll.
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Dan: You seem to be mentioning that there are three groups involved: Newcastle, Brechin and then “the Newcastle steering committee”. Are there three neighbourhood groups involved here? And it so, what is the third?
The steering committee organized by the city was an arrangement of community and business associations represented various parts of the neighbourhoods. The Newcastle community association had representatives on this committee, so did Brechin and Brechin Hill. Also, the Stewart Avenue Business Association had representatives. This group was so fractious that they started to self identify as the “Newcastle steering committee,” the Brechin hill steering committee,” and so on.
The Stewart Avenue Business Association has only three members and all three members where represented on this steering committee of smaller steering committees. Of course the other community associations represented on this steering committee had only three members each, but these members represented between a few hundred and a few thousand people.
I wasn’t involved in this part of the process, so there is a considerable amount of information gleaned here as second hand, but everything I learned was verified through interviews with more the one person.
At one point Newcastle and Brechin where united in their opposition to the cities plans for the so called “marine zone,” (high rise buildings on the waterfront). But then personal relationships within the two groups started to breakdown. For personal reasons the Newcastle representatives decided to back the city and the Stewart Avenue Business Association. The Brechin held firm to their position, even though the city tried many times to paint them as obstructionists isolated within the larger community.
Because the Brechin group stayed firm, they started to represent the views more prevalent in Newcastle. The Newcastle steering committee lost support.
The city did try very hard to isolate the Brechin group. They told them that the steering committee meetings where private and nothing could be discussed with people like myself or even other people in their community. Fortunately, the Brechin people didn’t listen. They continue to garner support by distributing information that the city would rather keep under the table, or at least below the radar.
For me, this has been an interesting study of how the city exploits the steering committee portion of the planing process. Instead of using the group to oversee the organization of materials presented at public events, the city creates a boiler room and pressures people not qualified and without the mandate to sign off on a particular decision. Once the majority of the group accepts the city position, the planners can hide behind the group by saying such things like; the steering committee agreed to this, or the majority of the steering committee thought it was a good idea. This way our planners don’t have to justify their positions with case study and statistical analysis, and they don’t have to accept any responsibility for their decisions. This is how unethical and irresponsible professionals work in our city planning department.
Heads should roll.
Dan,you believe the city planning department is unethical and irresponsible.I would add devious and incompetent,and suggest this applies to past and present senior staff and most elected councillors.
Devious in the manner that staff manipulate advisory committees to achieve their own pre-determined plans.Devious in the manner they arrange public hearings and encourage citizen taxpayers to think their ideas will be considered in the process,when in reality they have no intention of doing so,it being nothing more than complying with statutory requirements.
Staff also confirmed they are way out of their competence league when it comes to dealing with fly-by-night developers such as Millennium and their inability to ensure taxpayer money is protected,and spent prudently on core responsibilities.
I’m not going to add any further comments on the incompetence and/or ethical standards of Council over the years as anyone reading this has their opinions on the matter.I do recall very often though,one Jeet Manhas telling us how fortunate Nanaimo was to have such a great ‘partner’ in Millennium.And of course we know how Korpan’s regime manipulated the referendum to achieve their goals.
You end your piece by saying “heads should roll”.And this is the big issue,isn’t it.I think anyone can reasonably conclude that NO CHANGES will be forthcoming in the way the city conducts its affairs until the long-serving elected councillors are voted out and a new breed of smart, younger people are voted in.I would most certainly put yourself in this category and it would be very encouraging if there were another 2 or 3 additional concerned people like youself who would commit to running in the next election.I hope you do and others do too.
Quote..
Devious in the manner that staff manipulate advisory committees to achieve their own pre-determined plans.Devious in the manner they arrange public hearings and encourage citizen taxpayers to think their ideas will be considered in the process,when in reality they have no intention of doing so,it being nothing more than complying with statutory requirements.
Wonderful I could not say it better.
Try a visit to plan a Nanaimo meeting & see Councillor Holdom orchestrate the meeting..