What Is The Point Of C7 Zoning If Banman And MacLeod Can Use It To Plop Down A Shelter Near The Heart Of The Downtown Business Community?
Re: N37 Zone Approved – The City’s C7 zoning is flawed since it does not protect all C7 zoned businesses in the Business Improvement Area (BIA) in ‘Historic’ Downtown Abbotsford.
The original Abbotsford Community Services (ACS) low barrier housing site proposal was to be located on Montvue. But the property was zoned C7, while the properties former Abbotsford Downtown Business Association (ADBA) president Paul MacLeod and former mayor Bruce Banman have propsoed on Gladys Avenue at the corner of George Ferguson Way are not zoned C7.
C7 zoning was implemented in 2001 on behalf of the ADBA for the following purposes:
https://abbotsford.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=11789
Both proposed supportive housing sites, however, on Montvue and Gladys, are surrounded by businesses designated C7 and the Gladys Ave. site is surrounded by C7 businesses.
How is it OK to locate supportive housing between businesses zoned C7 on Gladys yet not on Montvue?
The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce Executive Board did not come out to support those businesses around Gladys Ave. zoned C7 property against this proposal or speak in favor of this location, despite the fact they say they support housing – just not changing C7 zones for supportive housing.
The ADBA did not speak publicly in favour of this location, although they say they support this location.
How is it OK to locate supportive housing near C7 zoned businesses in one area of the ADBA’s Business Improvement Area (BIA) but not the other?
The C7 zoning is seriously flawed. When you take into consideration that C7 zoning permits only selective businesses excluding recovery homes, supportive housing to operate within the BIA on specific properties, and yet the mayor and certain councillors just approved a supportive housing project to be located within the BIA, directly surrounding numerous C7- zoned properties on Gladys Ave., but voted down the same proposal for Montvue Ave.
What is the point of C7 zoning in the BIA, when services not included in C7 zoning list are permitted to be located almost directly beside businesses zoned C7 in the BIA ?
This is a clear case of trying to do damage control for a very bad decision by the mayor and some councillors, which will cost Abbotsford taxpayers.
In advocating accountability, it is necessary to indicate that Mayor Banman, and councillors Bill MacGregor, Les Barkman and John Smith voted down the ACS low barrier housing proposal on Montvue.
This is a clear case of partiality towards certain businesses located in and around Montvue property over C7 zoned property around Gladys Ave.
The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and the ADBA have allowed this to happen on their watch.
What does Mayor Banman call this entire debacle … ‘Looking for a long-term solution?’
http://www.abbynews.com/news/281414371.html
Research and artwork from Lilly Kaetler
