ALBION FLATS
SHOPPING - an anchor store like Wal-Mart, but not limited to Wal-Mart, a Costco, a superstore, and practical smaller stores that mirror the consituents view of what can be considered appropriate shopping options, accompanied by the following;
SPORTS VENUES - we are in need of sports fields of every kind and an added ice rink is surely on the list. I would be a fierce advocate for sports fields. Sports create a well-rounded community through involvement and interaction, and I would hate to see the cost of competing going up more than it already has;
GREENSPACE - all neighbourhoods deserve green space, a park, somewhere close to take the kids, the dogs, and catch a moment of Zen. Walking paths should also be included in any development proposal.
FARMING - not viable, not practical, first there has to be someone willing to farm it, and even so our community is growing in that direction and we haven't addressed shopping needs, nor recreation sites for the east side of Maple Ridge. We are growing at an alarming rate and we are spending way too much time on dithering and delaying and counterproposals.
INFRASTRUCTURE
We need a stewardship that speaks to the future with improvements on roads, water supply, sewers, transportation, electrical grids, telecommunications, schools, hospitals, etc, last but not least a tax base to keep it all up and running. Oh and yes, a tight municipal budget, not hampered by egregious pay rises that defy reason.
This economy screams restraint, and our council isn't listening. I am not a big fan of increased gas taxes just to keep Translink's bloated carcass afloat. It's like running any successful business or household budget. If you can't afford it, save for it, and only spend the money when it's available. I'm also on board for keeping property taxes fair for small businesses by reducing the tax gap between them and homeowners.
We need better feeder roads around the middle of downtown to avoid bumper to bumper cross-at-your-own-risk scenarios. Maple Ridge can be an awfully dangerous place to walk even in broad daylight.
HOUSING
We don’t have near enough transition houses. Subsidized housing for people with disabilities or for that matter just someplace a family down on their luck can go to get a fresh start. The whole Northumberland fiasco was mishandled; it put people back on the street. When you tear down any kind of shelter for disenfranchised people, the ghetto expands. That whole neighborhood needs revamped from the bottom up.
The process is underway and hopefully they take into account affordable housing alternatives, with respect to disability suites, and secondary suites that make a ‘neighbourhood’ viable and multifaceted.
THE TOWN CORE
Use your imagination. Connect both malls with green space and walkways. Think about underground parking with any new downtown projects, think about how much our population is going to increase and let’s get ahead of the wave. Most people seem to favor high density housing, which is my preference, given our aging population and people with disabilities who have very few alternatives. Maple Ridge is turning into the scooter and wheelchair capitol of B.C. And due consideration muat be given for accessibility. I like the idea of closing off 224th street at both ends and only allowing taxis, buses and commercial vehicles access. It remains to be seen what vision the current council has come up with to make the core more viable and pedestrian friendly. As it is now, I go way out of my way to avoid the whole street altogether.
ATTRACTING INVESTMENT
Most people I talk to complain about the time it takes for any development proposal to get to a final reading. The ALR is not written in stone and can be changed or altered slightly to fit everyone’s needs. We need to streamline the process. Some exemptions and incentives are already in place for “Qualifying projects which enjoy priority processing,” but it has become exceeding difficult to forecast just what the existing council’s criteria is for “qualified projects.” Big box stores are not to be feared, and development and growth is inevitable. Sometimes we just have to keep an open mind and bow to progress.
I also offer continuity. I don’t want to change for change sake. The previous council had a lot of projects on the go and I don’t see the sense of quashing or grandstanding just to undermine some of the good work they did.
I am third (or fourth) generation Maple Ridge and in some ways this town still has that rural neighbourhood feel I loved so much while growing up. I have the sense of belonging here, and I wouldn’t want to deprive future generations of that opportunity. I want to see affordable sports and activity alternatives that pull the younger generation into a healthier lifestyle. I certainly don’t want Maple Ridge to become a large parking lot for people who commute, or a place that you can only arrive at if you take a wrong turn and get really lost.
I am third (or fourth) generation Maple Ridge and in some ways this town still has that rural neighbourhood feel I loved so much while growing up. I have the sense of belonging here, and I wouldn’t want to deprive future generations of that opportunity. I want to see affordable sports and activity alternatives that pull the younger generation into a healthier lifestyle. I certainly don’t want Maple Ridge to become a large parking lot for people who commute, or a place that you can only arrive at if you take a wrong turn and get really lost.
I played a whack of sports growing up in Maple Ridge and the people I met through these activities are still my friends today, so I support the idea of affordability and accessibility to all sports, and enough venues so we’re not fighting over ice times or field times.
I consider myself well traveled and somewhat educated. I opened Boston Pizza franchises from Surrey to Tokyo (and a few places in between) and opened my own Boston Pizza in Airdre Alberta. I eventually came back to Maple Ridge as circumstances dictated, a car accident put me in a wheelchair and I found myself wanting to be back among friends and family, so I’ve been back twenty years. I’ve been active on the political scene running in three previous elections, (I didn’t lose. I just didn’t win), and I was one of the original volunteers in the Youth Diversion Program spearheaded by Lola Chapman, a visionary in her own right, and I’ve written numerous articles and irreverent editorials in The Times, and many irreverent editorials in both papers.
I maintain that Maple Ridge is still a “small town” in some ways, as there seems to be only about three degrees of separation between residents, new and old. A good friend of mine once quipped years ago that “All roads lead to Maple Ridge.” At this time in our history that quip could never ring truer.
