To the editor:
Re: "'Neighbours' seek to stall council rezoning decision," July 20.
There are some issues of context regarding my statements in the Courier article on the Shannon Mews development. According to the article, "The Shannon Mews Neighbours' Association wants so many speakers to sign up for a July 26 public hearing that city council's decision will be stalled until September." Please place this in the proper context. City council on June 28 passed the planning department's report for rezoning to a public hearing at the end of July, when many people are away on vacation or otherwise unable to participate, despite assurances from planning that consideration of this controversial development would be as all-encompassing and public as possible.
This would imply that a hearing would be in September. Instead, the rezoning was quickly and quietly moved to a referral. This is a common practice of council known as "jamming." We are requesting that as many people as possible register to speak at the public hearing so that the community's voice is heard. My remark, "The proper way of doing it would be to say, OK, we'll have to tie it over into September because then people are back from holidays," expresses this position and is more correct in terms of both honest government and the position of the association.
Gunther Schrack, Vancouver
