The NOW published an article this week that prompted some pushback from readers, including some saying we shouldn’t have run it at all.
The article was about a petition being put together to oppose a project by the BCGEU to build its new offices on Palm Avenue that will include two towers of rental housing and a child-care centre.
At least 50% of the units will be below-market rentals. How low those rents would actually be remains to be seen if they actually qualify as affordable, but I’m keeping an open mind.
Who are not keeping an open mind are a group of area residents who don’t want this project in their backyard. Yes, they are NIMBYs and while they won’t like the terminology, it is literally what they are. These residents, as you can read in our article, mention all the usual suspects while opposing a housing project, including it being in the “wrong” location – meaning anywhere near their homes – and that it will increase traffic and reduce parking, blah, blah, blah.
Some readers said we shouldn’t get these residents any oxygen because they don’t agree with their stance. I don’t agree with the stance either and said so in a previous column, but that doesn’t mean the residents shouldn’t have a voice. The fact is that they live close to this project and their opinions should be heard by the city during its engagement process that will include a public hearing.
I’m not disallowing a story including their views just because I don’t personally agree with them.
On a broader scale, I’m seeing Burnaby NIMBYs making a monster comeback – emphasis on the monster – on a number of housing plans.
I’ve read some really negative feedback from local residents about the city looking to add laneway houses, plus its plans to add an urban village concept in the Bainbridge neighbourhood. Others have complained about plans to build 5,000 units of housing on the Willingdon Lands next to Canada Way even though this is already one of the busiest areas in the city.
These owners of single-family homes really need to check their privilege and realize that we’re in a housing crisis and new ideas need to be embraced in the future so we can offer some options to get people into housing.
Please, stop trying to kill housing options that might be easier for people to afford.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
