Clarence Jensen

Do you ever want to know what your neighbors think about your new area development? One of the best ways is to have a public information meeting about the pending change in area dynamics. The meeting meets the demands of the City council and the resulting comments will be used by council in determining whether or not the proposal will go forward to building stage.

The first step was to notify all the area residents advising them of this meeting. It was our expectation that after the rezoning signs were erected, there would be sizable attendance at our meeting. The “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) response is usually typical when change comes along.

The next step is the presentation of the proposal. This illustrates both the project drawings as the buildings will be and the written rational for erecting the buildings. At our hearing there was both City council planning staff and a few area people who expressed their thoughts and feelings about the pending area change.

The meeting went well. The local residents knew that the area would one day switch from single family dwellings into a type of multifamily development. In the proposal presented, the units are approximately 300 square feet designed for low income, single, and senior accommodation. Do you have any thoughts about this changing lifestyle in Abbotsford?