Re: “Bike lanes perfume sewage-plant deal,” June 22.
The Capital Regional District offers Esquimalt enhanced mitigation as part of sewer-plant deal: “a significant contribution to upgrades of the bikeway system along Lyall Street” as well as “special emphasis on plant design, public art, interpretive displays on Esquimalt’s heritage and a conference room set aside for the public to learn about wastewater treatment.”
Message to CRD: Forget your enhanced mitigation for Esquimalt. Most of these items, if not all, should be a part of your construction responsibilities. “Upgrade power grid, roads and sidewalks, build conference rooms.” What are you thinking?
For starters, how about: a payment in lieu of taxes lost, including lost property benefits; a reduction for property owners’ sewage fees; an independent environmental impact assessment; an independent economic assessment; an independent report on the impact on property values; identifying all the cross-contamination storm-water linkages and dollars to fix them; identifying key rain-garden sites and dollars to construct to offset storm water runoff impacts; an independent survey to identify risks to health, safety, and odour for each plant location; and willing participation in a properly conducted rezoning process that would identify some real mitigation priorities.
Then consider a real big-ticket item like a Phase 2 upgrade to the Esquimalt Recreation Centre.
Stop bullying and playing games with Esquimalt and do a proper job of public consultation.
Bruce Devitt
Esquimalt
