Feb 25, 2007

Dear Editor,

When reading your report of the council meeting on Echo Heights, I found it surprising to learn of Councillor Dave Haywood’s archaic thinking, in clinging to his statement that “the land was rezoned for development years ago”.

Years ago, most of the surrounding properties were either agricultural or heavily treed.   With the mindset of that era, it probably made good sense to zone Echo Heights for residential development.

Now, things have changed, and we have moved on.  Global warming has made its presence sufficiently obvious to influence even our federal politicians.  Baby boomers are flocking here to take advantage of the Island lifestyle and relatively affordable housing.  The landscape has changed to accommodate them; large areas of land in the general vicinity of Echo Heights are now bereft of trees.  It is becoming ever more necessary to preserve Echo Heights as a coastal Douglas Fir forest.

Maybe Councillor Haywood needs to catch up to the thinking of this century.  May I remind you, Mr. Haywood, that women even have the vote?

Respectfully
Rosemary Ratcliff