DEVELOPMENT Gone Wrong: Coach House rezoning for Burkeville
The major issue with the densification of the Burkeville area is PARKING If you look at the pictures provided it is very easy to see the problem. The homes in Burkeville for the most part have parking in the rear lanes because the front yards of most home have ditches and subsequently there are very few driveways . Cars park along the frontage roads with one tire on the roadway and one tire on the grass boulevard.
The rear lanes have driveways, garages, sheds and a few Coach houses. The coach house in this picture occupies most of the rear space and it is necessary for the cars to park in front of the garage doors. This now creates the same problem in the lanes that currently faces the front roadways. If Coach houses are allowed to be built in these extremely narrow laneways then it will create parking problems for all the residents. Comments like “We now have a number of coach houses/rental suite zoned properties in Burkeville and there is just not enough parking to support the additional residents.” (Charlene Porter 1300 Wellington Crescent)
The second problem with densification of Burkeville is SAFETY If council votes to allow densification and for coach houses the narrow roadways and laneways cannot accommodate emergency services. I spoke to the Richmond Firefighters and was told that recently a Fire truck was dispatched to Burkeville and the truck could not pass through the roadway, the Firefighters were forced to hold the horn down until finally someone came running out and moved their car. These delays can cause loss of life and great frustration for the Firefighters.
One neighbor writes “It is difficult to get one car through but impossible to get an emergency vehicle such as a fire truck or ambulance through at all. I will not sacrifice the security of my home and family for additional housing in Burkeville.” (Melissa Gervais 1411 Wellington Crescent.)
The third problem with the densification of Burkeville is it will destroy the Community, neighbors have written in to the City to ask that no more coach houses be allowed because as one neighbor states “The small family area feeling will be lost with the increased density” (Paul Mirko 100 Wellington crescent).
In Burkeville they have tried Coach Houses and they don’t like them we are hearing comments like“Having seen the results of the building at 241 Douglas l am now fully opposed to coach houses in this neighbourhood.” (Paul Mirko)
We must allow the people living in Burkeville to decide what they want and Mayor and Council need to listen and learn from the residents in order to ensure their quality of life is maintained.
