Re: Feature Letter, Sooke News Mirror, May 1, 2013, “Land use committee gone rogue?”
I was surprised that you would print such a defamatory missive as that captioned above. The writer purports impropriety on the part of certain members of the Land Use and Environment Committee, The LUEC was struck by the mayor and council to afford citizens an informal medium to present and discuss ideas or issues concerning property. As an interested member of the community and at the call of council, I volunteered and sit as an alternate from the public from time to time.
The writer suggests that a developer sitting on the committee, “who may have pecuniary interest in development property, makes a motion to reduce amenity costs to developers” ascribes to a benefit or financial gain to himself or his associates,
I have no property from which such a benefit could be derived. I have paid over a million dollars in fees, charges and DCCs to the district. I contributed $70,000 to seed the Sooke District Affordable Housing Fund. I have built and donated parks and trails, constructed sidewalks and roadways, and installed street lights for public safety. I have never asked for an amenity exemption and I have no regrets.
I believe the writer should review her facts and at the very least, apologize to those who volunteer their time and energy to Sooke.
Adrian Cownden
Sooke