Editor, The Times:
Re: Letter “Clearwater’s Dutch Lake doesn’t need another park” by Jim Lamberton in the June 21 issue.
Jim, it used to be I had to mention the words “roundabout” or “climate change” to get a rise out of you.
Now it seems you just need to see my name somewhere on a page and you get overly excited.
In your letter you refer to Keith McNeill’s June 14 article.
If you had read the article more carefully you would have seen that just one person did not write it.
There were four co-signers: Gord Radcliff, Shane Petre, Ken Smith and me.
The article, in fact, was mostly Gord’s work with input from Shane and Ken.
My role was mainly to edit it.
In your letter you said that Dutch Lake needs a sewer system, not a park.
You wrote, “The 23 hectare property has the approval for a 53 lot subdivision.
“The tax revenue from those properties would go a long way towards building that sewer system.”
Well, maybe, but there are quite a few undeveloped properties around Clearwater with views just as nice if not nicer than the one over Dutch Lake and without the horrendous costs of extending and connecting to the sewer.
If they are not being developed and sold, how likely is it that the Dutch Lake property would be anytime soon?
Another factor to consider is that, if a property is subdivided but the lots do not sell, local taxpayers might have to maintain the roads and infrastructure within that property until they do sell.
The property is for sale today for $750,000 – a reasonable price for that amount of waterfront land.
The price to buy is now, before the price goes higher.
A small committee of Clearwater residents calling itself the Dutch Lake Advocacy Group is working to get the property purchased for a park.
An online poll showed 75 of 100 respondents support making the property into a park
We are now collecting names on a petition to take to Clearwater town council.
Possibly District of Clearwater can negotiate a better price from the owner.
Possibly money can be raised through fundraising to reduce the impact on local taxpayers.
If you want to know more about what is being proposed, there is a Facebook page called Dutch Lake Advocacy Group.
Be sure to “like” the page so you are kept informed of the latest developments.
For those who support this initiative, copies of the petition are available for signing at Home Hardware, Wells Gray Inn and the Clearwater Times office.
Keith McNeill, spokesperson Dutch Lake Advocacy Group
Clearwater, B.C.
newsroom@clearwatertimes.com
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