Much for city hall to act on

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Richmond Review

• City hall deserves a break
• Christy Clark acts

Editor:

Mayor Brodie’s embarrassing interview on CTV News last week demonstrated what observers of Richmond City Hall already know – the current administration is failing Richmondites in many areas due to inaction and not paying attention to the security and health of our residents.

CTV showed, through a flashback and current investigations, that city hall has allowed a questionable enterprise to operate in the Radisson unchallenged for four months.

With election day coming in November 17, Mayor Brodie needs to step out of his conservative shell and tell us, the voters, clearly and unambiguously what he is going to do about the following:

•What steps is City Hall taking to slow down the speed tracks in Richmond? No. 1 Road, Westminster and Steveston highways, No. 2 Road and Gilbert are now carrying traffic averaging 70 km/h where weaving and running traffic signals have become the norm; these are all 50 km/h zones.

•When is city hall going to shut down illegal burners in Richmond?  I have reported two houses burning renovation debris and pouring out toxic smoke into our neighbourhoods and city hall has taken no action on these criminal acts.

•When is city hall going to relocate Grimms Sausage Factory from our downtown core and cut the woodsmoke emissions from this facility?  Currently, this facility pours dangerous woodsmoke emissions all over Central Richmond including a number of high rises immediately adjacent to Grimms lot.

•When is city hall releasing its new noise bylaw to protect the health of many citizens having to live with unnecessary noise emissions?

•When is city hall taking steps to curb the emissions of diesel trucks, garbage trucks, bulldozers, buses and other machinery that is flooding our city with dangerous fumes?

•When is city hall going to deal with the unbearably congested junction at No. 5 Road and the tunnel, and the developing traffic disaster at Dinsmore Bridge as that new residential area completes development?

Richmond is very much at a turning point where we need to consolidate a range of health and safety issues, and slow down densification which is exacerbating and degrading our living environment.

I urge Mayor Brodie to treat the upcoming municipal elections as an opportunity to provide us with his vision of our City.  The Mayor and the Councillors all know that their re-election depends on what they communicate to us.  Readers, mark November 19 in your calendars and only vote for those who will improve our community, not simply spend our money.

John McCrossan

Richmond