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Tsawwassen being given perfect opportunity to keep town core alive

Editor: Re: Delta deserves penalty for lack of new rentals, Dec. 5 I am once again reading about the shortage of rental units available in Delta. This is the third article I’ve read recently in the Optimist.

Editor:

Re: Delta deserves penalty for lack of new rentals, Dec. 5

I am once again reading about the shortage of rental units available in Delta. This is the third article I’ve read recently in the Optimist. I also read a huge article in the Globe and Mail about the shortage of rental units available in all big Canadian cities and how foreign investors buy up huge rental buildings and jack up prices, which they have a right to do, but that leaves a lot of people out of the rental market.

According to both newspapers, there have been very little rental units built since the 1970s.

So here in Tsawwassen we have Century Group offering to build a rental building with various rent amounts available to help the most people. I understand it is part of the larger project proposed for the Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall property.

I saw the plans for the project and thought it was wonderful; tall buildings to make it easy for people to come downstairs and do their shopping right there. It will also keep the town core alive and keep the shop owners in business.

With the big mall out on the TFN lands and all the condos and houses going in there, I am sure the little businesses in Tsawwassen are hurting.

My son and daughter-in-law live at 70th Avenue and Granville Street. That area was dying. They tore down the old Safeway and put in a big, bright, new Safeway and several towers and next thing you know the businesses in that area are flourishing. Up and down that street the area is alive with people walking to the stores.

We have the perfect opportunity here to keep our town core alive. Let’s stop listening to negative people and get these buildings built. More seniors are looking to get out of their big houses and get into a condo. But there is hardly anything to buy here In Tsawwassen.

So renters and condo buyers and businesses will all benefit from this development. The plans for the development show a pedestrian- and bike-friendly environment because the majority of parking will be below, which is brilliant. More people will walk or bike or push their baby buggies if they feel safer. 

I also read in the Optimist there is a plan for a new library and that library will be donated to our city. Win-win-win. How much better can it get?

We need taller buildings in the core, we need rentals and we need more people shopping in the core. We need these built ASAP.

I am hoping Delta council will jump on this opportunity and get this development done and not listen to the negative Nellies who are always putting any development down. They believe it is their right to live in this cute little community but refuse to provide more practical housing options for more people. 

Ann Stirling