Dear Editor:
It’s time to draw the line in the sand, Agassiz!
For 25 years, developers have been pushing council to develop the Teacup properties. And for 25 years, the residents of Agassiz have sent back a resounding “No!” The will of the community voice has not changed in the past 25 years; however, now more than ever, our food supply chain needs to be protected.
The Mayor’s full-page ad in last week’s paper was a grim reminder of the large amounts of protected Agricultural Land Reserve land that have already been sacrificed, destroyed and paved over for development in Agassiz. There are still many other options that still need to be discovered and realized – infilling within the townsite, apartment buildings and as Abbotsford and Chilliwack have discovered, the value of building on hillsides.
As the Agricultural Land Commission told Council 18 months ago, when they again pressed to develop The Teacup properties – Remove this land from the Official Community Plan as a development opportunity.
I encourage the citizens of Agassiz to complete the form found on the District of Kent website before the closing date of March 26, 2020. As I found the form very leading, I personally only answered the questions up to number six and hit submit.
Let your voice be heard, Agassiz! Remind your mayor and council they are elected “by the people, for the people!”
Rose Tustian
Agassiz