To follow up on the previous blog article, this letter was sent to the editor of the Delta Optimist (http://www.delta-optimist.com/) on May 29th, 2014. It goes into more detail about the bridge decision and wasn't published.

Two recent articles in your paper caught my attention. One by the editor, Ted Murphy (tmurphy@delta-optimist.com) was about the present council and the possibilities for change of council. The other was on the complete lack of accountability form Port Metro by Ian Robertson.

It is of interest to me that people by and large are not responding to the issue of the port as the changes afoot are of great importance to this community. The two direct issues are 1) the expansion of the container terminal with a second terminal and 2) the dismantling of the Massey Tunnel, not so much to be replaced by a bridge, but to let larger ships through the Fraser.

The second terminal is of interest in that we have always been told that the South Fraser Perimeter Road was to “ease congestion”. Now it is becoming apparent that this is just not the case. Commercial properties are being speculatively purchased along the SFPR and Agricultural property has been bought and held on the Richmond side for the inevitable second Terminal. And this while the public process is less than complete and it is painfully clear that the Fraser estuary and its wildlife are at risk. Without any concern shown by the Harper government and token concern by Port Metro. So much for the SFPR being built (at our tax expense, nearly double the estimated cost) “to ease congestion”.

The need to dismantle the Massey Tunnel has never been fully explained to us, the BC taxpayers or the local commuters. The results of “Public Input” is questionable as the expense for this undertaking will be far greater than the cost of an additional and necessary alternative. And why are we on the hook for the Port’s needs rather than that of our own infrastructure? And how is it that our Mayor is the only Mayor that supports this bridge and its resultant traffic patterns? None of the other Metro Vancouver representatives are in favour of this proposal. So why is the Province going ahead with this?

This is all connected to the article by Ted Murphy on this fall’s election. Our present council in their infinite wisdom are pushing for development. Not development as defined by our Community plan or the Regional Context Statement submitted to the Metro Regional board.  The present number of Residential units is far beyond those planned and any expansion to the Port and its infrastructure needs are not included.

It is up to the electorate to let council know this fall that this is not acceptable. What is the use of asking for public input on the Community Plan if you don’t follow it? What is the use of supporting a bridge that the locals will be paying for when it has little benefit to anyone but Port Metro? We have quality of life in Delta. Let’s make sure that this is maintained and that Development is done within the structure set up BY council. We need to have transparency with all these decisions so that people who take an active part in this community can feel trust in council decisions. This will take change on behalf of council’s part and can only be achieved by a change in council.