Surrey city council rejected at third reading a 58-unit townhouse project for a tony Fleetwood neighbourhood of single-family houses after dozens of speakers railed against the proposed development at 8464 Wildwood Place during a public hearing at City Hall on Monday (Nov. 18). Seventy-two people were on the speakers list.
There were also unregistered speakers at the three-hour hearing. Council heard that 95 per cent of the neighbourhood – some 484 residents – signed a petition against the proposal. Residents complained it would increase traffic, density, noise, overburden local schools and parks, drive down land values, be an eyesore, bring “criminal activity” and transiency and otherwise wreck their quality of life.
“It will destroy the character of our neighbourhood,” Gary Dada said. “Our neighbourhood consists of 10,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet half-acre lots with large luxury homes so putting 58 townhomes right in the middle of these houses is not appropriate. Our neighbourhood is quiet, peaceful, lush green and safe.
“This development will cause great harm to the quality of life we enjoy in this neighbourhood,” he told council. “We need single-family quarter-acre lots that flow with the overall layout of the neighbourhood and complement this existing, well-established character. We don’t need townhomes.
” Resident Barb Kinsella said the proposed townhouses “do not fit in the culture of our area.” She noted that a horse farm occupied t.
