Coalition seeks better planning

Re: Four- year council mandates will allow better growth planning, Westcoast Homes, Nov. 29

Bob Ransford makes incorrect assumptions about the views of Vancouver residents on the direction the Vision Council has been taking the city, maintaining that the recent election reflects general satisfaction among the residents. Election results tell a different story.

Vision garnered only 32 per of the council vote while 68 per voted against Vision. Adriane Carr of the Green party led all council candidates with 74,077 votes. Every elected non- Vision councillor received more votes than any of the Vision candidates. If it weren’t for splitting of the opposition vote, Vision would not have won as many seats as it did.

Ransford dismisses opponents of the current planning process as a “few neighbourhood activists.” The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods represents 26 associations from across the city, all of whom have voiced concerns about the way the city has been conducting business. There is ample evidence in Grandview- Woodland, West Point Grey, West End, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Norquay, Oakridge, Marpole and False Creek, to name a few. The record number of court cases brought against the city indicates an increased level of frustration with how the city handles citizens’ concerns around planning and neighbourhood livability.

The coalition advocates a better approach to planning. We promote respect for the city’s official neighbourhood development plans and community visions and call for collaboration between the city and residents. All major parties except Vision support this new blueprint for improved planning processes. LARRY A. BENGE AND FERN JEFFRIES Co- chairs, Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods