OPINION: Queensborough Housing Project in Industrial Zone is Problematic, says Armstrong

I write after a few days of consideration to respond to your article about the proposed housing development on Tanaka Court, near the Lowe\’s and Value Village.

That area of Queensborough is rightly zoned industrial and retail and frankly should remain so. Councillor Puchmayr noted it\’s in close proximity to the community centre and schools, while Councillor McEvoy notes, \”People will have to cross two crosswalks to get to a school? Come on people, that\’s not where we are at.\” The reality is those two crosswalks are on Howes, crossing the on-ramps and off-ramps from Highway 91A, the Queensborough connector, which are high-traffic areas and exceptionally congested during morning and afternoon commutes.

They are literally the junctions between a freeway and the community of Queensborough. This is not a safe route. This is not a route anyone would want their children walking twice a day 200 days a year.

I see the agenda for the Dec. 6 public hearing includes social housing projects downtown and in Queensborough. The Queensborough location is already in a residential area, as is the downtown location. It is clearly possible to find better locations for housing in Queensborough. There is no need to amend the OCP to put housing at the Landing, whether under the guise of social housing or otherwise. I strongly encourage council to stay the course with the OCP.

Ken Armstrong, New Westminster

NOTE: This letter to the editor was originally published in the New West Record newspaper on December 7th, 2021