Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Mini Apartments in Residential Neighbourhoods- Time to Put an End to This Practice

   The area surrounding Hyland Park in Newton was once home to pheasants, raccoons,  coyotes beavers and a thriving salmon spawning population in Hyland Creek.

Now a developer wants to create another street of mega homes on small lots ( Hyland Park development proposal link )- so small and jammed so closely together that to compensate for the lack of street space for parking, a parking "island" ( in truth just a small parking lot) in the centre of the cul de sac is planned. 

The 14000 blk of 65th Avenue  across from the proposed development is a lovely street that has homes on 1/2 acre lots. The homes on the 13800 blk of 65th Ave closest to the proposed development have 1/4 acre lot homes. A development more in keeping with these areas is preferred and recommended. If that is not considered a possibility then townhouses are preferred over small lots. The creek setback would then be 30 metres as opposed to 15 metres for small lot homes
.Plus a townhouse complex requires a strata council in place to govern  rentals, noise and other issues affecting home owners. 
We simply cannot absorb more rental suites geared to a transient  population. This model does not make for a healthy and safe neighbourhood for families and places a burden on an already over-taxed school system.


 I should add that no one I know has any problem with an extended family living in one home  that includes a suite for mom. In fact I applaud this multi-generational model and believe that North Americans should consider this  way of living more often. It strengthens families.


We need to  think of the big picture here- it's time to create livable healthy  communities for everyone.

 Homeowners are weary of  neighbourhoods turning into mini apartment zones. We have seen an increase in crime, garbage, drug dealing  and vandalism when the development of  64A Avenue just west of 138th St was approved and built despite the opposition of dozens of  area homeowners. The streets in that  development are littered with debris and there is a steady stream of young males coming from that neighbourhood and dealing drugs at the nearby pedestrian bridge. Just 2 weeks ago there was another police incident.
 We know that  city hall cannot keep up now with  illegal suite enforcement.To  approve developments which encourage this practice is sheer folly on the part of local government.
 To use a phrase often heard by city council, we need to look at the 'big picture' here. What is  the best decision for this neighbourhood and what  will it say about how things are run in Surrey?

 There is a public hearing on Monday July 23 at 7pm.

Mayor and Council Contact info
Hyland Park development proposal link

Monday, July 16, 2012

City Hall needs to act NOW to save Newton from becoming Whalley 2.0 Just think , our own little Downtown Eastside in the making. All the signs are there.


King George and 64th Ave. 
Southern Gateway to Surrey 

Welcome to Surrey
 The Future Lives Here


Take one minute to send a message asking( demanding?) council and the mayor to pay attention to the state of Newton NOW.            Contact info for mayor and council link
The troubles of Whalley have simply been pushed down the King George into Newton.
Now businesses don't see the area as an economically viable location option.

Welcome to Whalley 2.O
What a legacy for our mayor ...

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Summer break time!

Taking a little break  from blogging to enjoy the sunshine here in sunny south Surrey.
Thanks to everyone for their continued support for the ReNewal of Newton.  This is an uphill battle. We need to ensure that our community gets attention and does not continue to be Surrey's dumping ground.
I encourage you to do a little research and pay attention to what's happening in your neighbourhood and most importantly  let your voice be heard.
Call city hall
Call the police when you see crime
Form a Blockwatch
Get to know your neighbours
Thanks!
Jude at ReNewton Nation

Friday, July 6, 2012

Someone has a grudge against ReNewton!

Apparently someone has chosen to be malicious and  reported to facebook ( incorrectly of course) that the ReNewton.org website is "unsafe or spammy"
If you have received anything from an email address  associated with  ReNewton that is questionable please let me know. I believe that it is " just "someone being nasty and I don't think the site was compromised in anyway.
Now who would do such a thing ??

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Bad Day in Newton

First my hand- painted  decoupaged chair gets stolen from our front porch , burned and left in the playground and now my  blog has been reported as "unsafe" Wow! A community blog deemed unsafe. What's going on. Trying to fix it so please stay tuned.