(Newswire.net — June 4, 2013) Port Moody, BC — John Grasty, a Port Moody Realtor says Port Moody’s heritage district will continue to wither, and residents’ access to everyday goods and services is threatened as visions for a West Port Moody put forward by the candidates during the last election look increasingly like vote-winning rhetoric.
Grasty, a resident of Port Moody, said that some exciting proposals had earlier emerged from invitations to help plan sustainable growth around the future Evergreen Line in a new Official Community Plan.
Yet Instead of actually adopting any of the proposals, Port Moody politicians backed away last week from making decisions, and chose to schedule more town hall meetings.
Grasty says that over 8,600 people have to leave West Port Moody – which represents one-third of the total area of Port Moody – to get basic goods and most services. Many travel outside the City and into Coquitlam or Burnaby.
There are no grocery stores, convenience stores, banks, or drugstores in the west end of the city, said Grasty. Only 2 aging municipal facilities serve the west end, while there are 12 mostly modern facilities in the other parts of the city.
“I think it’s fear of controversy,” said Grasty, one of the more outspoken Tri City Realtors, of the politicians’ reluctance to make key decisions. “It appears they’ve decided their primary goal is to maximize the number of voters who will like the outcome in the run-up to next year’s election.”
“So now we’ll just continue to regurgitate the same hi-rise versus no-space density debate that has been going on at every meeting since at least the 2007 Design Charrette.“
Grasty said more town hall meetings indicate a failure of nerve, and ultimately show a lack of leadership.
“Unless civic leaders act decisively to concentrate significant future employment, retail and residential development around a western transit station as proposed to the west of Queen, our heritage district will continue to wither, and our West Port Moody residents will continue to lack convenient access to everyday goods and services. We have a serious case of benign neglect, and it’s time to finally address the real issues.”
More information can be found at: http://realestateevolved.com/2013/06/port-moody-realtor-concerned/
About John Grasty: John is a full-time licensed real estate representative and a long-time homeowner advocate who serves residents of the Tri-Cities area of B.C.
Media Contact:
John Grasty
Prudential Sterling Realty
3137 St Johns St Port Moody, BC V3H 2C7
(778) 878-0778
realestateevolved.com
jgrastybc@gmail.com