Letter to the Editor

Thanks Kimberley! For so thoughtfully articulating your views to city council through letters and the June 27 and 28 public hearings on the proposed change to our Official Community Plan (OCP) to create highway commercial in the Marysville industrial zone.

It has been truly inspiring to witness the depth of care for this awesome town.

I have many thoughts from the Hearings and some that are top of mind right now are:  

1. No one expressed opposition to change, rather it’s change for the greater good that’s sought.
2. No one expressed opposition to development, but rather that it’s development that helps us address our needs, that’s sought.

Needs such as: Living wages; attainable housing; skilled workforce; local food; clean air and wise use of water and land.  Local business that attract and keep dollars in Kimberley with unique products and services.  And long term well-being of environment, economy and community.

3. That little is understood about the effects of this rezoning application. Using the facts before council to consider the costs and benefits, clearly there is cause for concern.  The tax and building permit dollars don’t justify the substantial longer term costs and trade-offs.  It adds a highway commercial zone on our very limited industrial lands which are key to diversifying our economy beyond retail services.  It adds a new commercial district outside our existing commercial cores which reduce existing commercial property values and undermines investment in our downtown.  It dilutes our existing retail services rather than attracting any new customers’ dollars to Kimberley. The health of our local business community is critical to the health of our local economy. One hundred and three local business owners – brick and bortar businesses have requested an impact assessment of adding a new commercial district to Kimberley. Also, today with the climate crisis and all the other crises we face in addition, we need to double down on supporting local and shortening our supply chains. The benefits of local business are well documented and understood these days – again, we need to pay attention to these facts.
4. Effect of a new traffic light and drive thru on Marysville during rush hour.
5. New gas station carcinogens and child-targeted fast food within 130 m of elementary school and new daycare.
6. Air quality/meteorological conditions that can make Marysville into a natural hotspot for higher concentrations of harmful air pollutants.
7. The young people who spoke about their hopes for diversifying the economy beyond the existing retail service sector and creating well-paying jobs so they can live here in the future.
8. Businesses struggle long and hard to find suitable industrial spaces to open businesses here and are asking the city to properly develop and service the Marysville industrial lands.
9. Kimberley has amazing strengths and wants to build on these to guide its growth. We are asked to respect our community plan and vision, and to take it to the next step.
10. The global climate emergency is weighing heavy and as awareness increases more are calling for future looking economic development.

A wide range of perspectives and concerns were brought to council’s attention, showing that we are at a key juncture and time of opportunity for Kimberley’s future.

What are the next steps?

This rezoning application raises many considerations. To make an informed decision, a much better understanding of the potential consequences is required. An impact assessment can provide that information for this and future applications as well as inform planning.  This is why I’m bringing a Notice of Motion for vote at the next council meeting on July 24. It will request an impact assessment of:

– any rezoning of Marysville Industrial (M1) to Commercial;

– adding new drive thrus, gas stations, or corporate chain development, and,

– other topics raised at public hearings.

If this application is the right thing at the right time, this will illustrate that.  And it will provide a framework for this and future decisions of this type including policy recommendations on how and where they ‘fit’ in our town.

This will be voted on at the next council meeting on July 24 and, if it passes, will support a more informed discussion about the entrance to our community, industrial and commercial zoning as well as new gas stations, drive-throughs and corporate chains.

You made your views known through process.  Love Kimberley exercising democracy!

P.S. When we are told, ‘everyone else is doing it, so we should too.’  That’s not ever a good reason for decision!

Until the post-war period, cities had, for hundreds of years, evolved their downtowns. Then the automobile culture and outward expansion killed this cycle of re-investment.  Outward commercial expansion aka “sprawl” has the effect of undermining downtowns.  We see this in almost every city in North America because they all succumb to the short-term allure of highway commercial development. Let’s take care in considering our own needs and sense of place rather than jumping on the band wagon.

Sue Cairns,

Councillor, City of Kimberley

Article Share