FRASER HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MINUTES
September 18, 2012
President’s report
- Web site – www.fhca.ca
- Lindsay Ryerson, president
- Mandate of the FHCA – to represent issues that concern our community – safety, police issues, traffic, infrastructure issues, development. We provide a voice at City Hall – they value our input on issues of concern to Fraser Heights.
- Go to website and register in order to get email reminders of our 4 meetings per year. About 400 people have signed up on this site.
Treasurer’s report
- Financial statement – total account balance is $3867.70
- Expenses were $300 for rental of the FHSS theatre and $185 for insurance so we can use the school for our meetings.
Liquor Store Application
- The FHCA Board of Directors met with Joe Khalifa and Al Arbuthnot on Thursday September 13th in regards to the proposed liquor store at the Fraser Heights Mall.
- The Liquor store application is for the space Fraser’s Bistro occupied.
- There are no Surrey By-lows governing where liquor stores can be situated unless they have a pub attached to them. In that case, they cannot be within 400 meters of schools or parks.
- The mall is zoned with a CD rating which originally allowed a liquor store. Due to Surrey by-law changes, it was stated that a pub had to be attached to a liquor store (this puts the provincial/municipal laws in conflict as a pub is not required for provincial liquor stores).
- The mall must apply for rezoning in order to have a liquor store without a pub.
- The City of Surrey requested a letter from the FH Association to show support for this application. The FHCA will put any caveats into the letter written such as to not allow a pub. Issues brought up by those attending this meeting will also be included in the letter.
- This will be a privately operated liquor store that will sell wine, beer and hard liquor. The proprietor currently owns several liquor stores.
- Residents offered these suggestions to have a liquor store:
a) Liquor stores are good tenants – they bring in people and money and are beneficial to other stores in the area
b) There has been shown to be no noticeable impact on the crime rate.
c) Residents won’t have to go across the freeway to get liquor.
- RCMP – concerns were raised about selling to minors, traffic congestion at the mall, and the location of the business right across from school (there are no liquor stores in Langley or Vancouver near schools). There are Liquor stores in Guildford and Fleetwood that do service FH.
- Parents concerned that younger kids would ask older teens/adults to buy liquor for them. One resident stated that if kids wanted liquor, they’d find a way to get it no matter where it was.
- Concerns were raised about the location across from high school and elementary schools.
- Some residents stated that the further from young people the establishment is, better it is for residents.
- A point was made that tobacco is sold at Nesters, Rexall and the Gas Station. Drugs are sold behind the gas station. Dean Scott will be apprised of this – (bring up at next meeting).
- Underage kids involved in offenses with alcohol/drugs are taken home to their parents but up it is up to the parents to do something and many don’t.
- It was stated that people going in and out of the liquor store will take about 5 minutes – so this should not have a huge impact on traffic in FH.
- Hours of operation are controlled by province – 7 days a week. 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The proprietor stated that he would operate within those hours but would monitor the hours to see what would work best for FH community.
- School’s view – PACs were responding separately. Most against.
- Up until night of the Country Fair in June, no one knew what was going into the Frasers Bistro site. It was the end of school year, grad time and not all the 25,000 residents went to the fair so most did not see/hear about the proposed liquor store. Not lot of time to speak to PACs as they did not function during the summer. Unfortunately, tonight there is a high school PAC meeting in the library and Dogwood has a parent/teacher barbeque so many representatives from the schools could not come. Concerns have been raised from the schools. There are also other community areas nearby – water park, skate park, rec centre.
- Some residents would be In favour of a liquor store if an alternate site could be found such as put it with the toll booth or at the bottom of 104th Ave toward 176th Street.
- A Liquor store was approved when mall was 1st built as a possible tenant.
- A vote was taken and the majority of residents were not in support of having a liquor store in the FH mall. Out of 65 people that attended the FH meeting, 35 were opposed to the liquor store at FH plaza, 9 were in favour and 21 did not vote. Of the, 35 opposed, 24 did not want any liquor store in Fraser Heights at any location, while 11 would be in favour of a location that was not near any of the schools such as at the foot of 104th Street near the intermodal yards.
- Tom Gill, City councillor, explained that the bylaw required a pub to be joined to a liquor store for any new establishments. It will be amended so a liquor store can be opened without a pub. Applicant has to make a request to the City for an amendment. Can regulate hours/days. Tom stated that Guildford did have a stand-alone liquor store as it had been run by gov’t . Minimum distance from liquor store to liquor store – 1 km to an existing one so FH mall is outside that area from Guildford.
- When application goes through City Hall, (it will be on a Monday night) residents are invited to attend the meeting and express their thoughts for or against. Once the date for the application hearing is known, it will be put on the FHCA website.
- As an alternate to this, FH Residents have voice at City Hall – send an email or write so they have a record of your comments.
Police and Security – Staff Sargent Dean Scott
- Dean Scott, Div 2 commander for the RCMP, is assigned to this area – he’s been in the RCMP for 32 years. Dean is at the RCMP office at 5 every morning so contact him with any concerns you might have. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend tonight and no other officer could come so Corp. Dwayne Croll sent an update:
- Recent shooting in FH – he stated the murder was 100% targeted. Victim was well known to police. No further threat to the home or neighbours.
- Get to know your neighbours and establish a Block Watch or get involved in your neighbourhood Block Watch.
- Increased presence of bicycle cops at events. RCMP will have double the regular staff working on Halloween and the weekend before.
- Once trick or treat is finished, residents were advised to bring in decorations as vandals tend to move in.
- Park your cars in garages to avoid vandalism to vehicles.
- Officers patrol late evenings and nights and have found many garages open. They have knocked on doors even at 3 a.m. to let residents know about this. Please check to make sure you close your garage doors.
- This past weekend there were 2 new break-ins – one at 174 St/104 Ave where there’s new construction and one at 155 St/108 Ave. These thieves are using the same strategy that was previous used on past break-ins. They tend to park their vehicles a few blocks from targeted residences. The home owners were Korean and the thieves targeted resident’s money/jewelry. Entry was through the back. If any resident sees men climbing fences or suspect someone, call 911. It is better to call and be a false alarm. No call is too small. The RCMP have been successful in Richmond recently. These thieves are working all areas of BC.
Traffic Issues
- 3 lanes on the new Port Mann bridge heading eastbound opened today. Westbound will open later this year.
- Go to www.treo.ca and sign up to get transponder sticker. You will get a discount if you sign up early (before Nov 30) and receive 20 free trips. If before Feb, you’ll still get a discount till Dec 15th/2013 but no free trips. Even if you use the bridge infrequently, the sticker is free and will save you having to pay the “day of” any crossings you may make plus will give you a discount on any crossings for the next year if you sign up before the bridge opens. It is just a sticker that you put on your car and will work for both the Golden Ears bridge as well as the new Port Mann bridge.
- Construction at 168/104 has been going on to put in traffic lights. Currently, they are waiting for BC Hydro to get light up and running.
- There is a new street – 175A – being built. City is putting street into where the Korean church is to help with local traffic as they had to access their church through the residential area.
- Development sign at 164 St/104 Ave for 16 lots. Our FHCA has been requesting traffic lights at that intersection for many years as there have been many accidents there. With more houses, this becomes an even greater concern.
- SFPR – significant construction is going on presently. Can view the project on their website. Current configuration of traffic around 176 will be in place for about 1 year. Right now, they are doing construction to take you up 176. By December, will have to go through that intersection stoplight twice due to the traffic configuration.
- Access to CN yard is permanent. SFPR has to finish line painting and utility work to open by Dec.
- Anticipated there will be curbing along 104 Ave from 168 to 160 Streets – this is not on the TI Corp drawings
- Golden ears connector 104 Ave/176 St to 96 Ave. Recently started construction – extension along 104 Ave/ Daly Road. Preload starting to go in so can pave it when it has settled. Have not yet acquired all 179 to 170A property which must be done before road can be put through. 1st step is to widen Daly road to make it safer then extend it to Golden Ears pathway. Projected timeline for completion is the end of 2013.
- 156 St HOV access – when open, won’t be able to get out of that lane right through to Brunette – separated by concrete barrier. Will NOT be able to get off at Cape Horn. Will try to get TI corp representative for next meeting
Railway Crossings
- Limitations of train whistles in FH. Reconfigured for minimum # of crossings.
- Blowing horns in yard overnight when no trains moving
Development in Fraser Heights:
- 164 St/104 Ave (North East corner) – 16 lots
- 159 St to160 Ave just north of 104 Ave/Freeway – 36 lots
- 157 St/ 107 Ave – 7 lots
- If residents have any concerns about these projects, go to the City’s website and quote the number on bottom of the development signs when you email your concerns.
Member’s concerns
- Kindermorgan pipeline extension – residents worried that adverse publicity could decrease their property values, even if pipeline is safe
- Pipeline will be doubled alongside current pipeline. Kindermorgan does have a right of way – a 20 foot width that runs along the fence line. Homeowners may have the land either on the front or back of their residences but KM has right of way. They will take down fences, undo landscaping and will redo it in better way than was so will not devalue property. Residents have been pleased with the professionalism of the work Kindermorgan has done to restore their property. FHCA will try to get them to come to one of our meetings.
- Hysteria about this has been about another pipeline further north. The pipeline that runs through FH brings crude oil to Burnaby – it is not linked to the one running further north that will take the oil to China. The pipeline in FH cuts through the new development at the intersection of 176/ Hwy 1. They have had to design their project so they don’t build on top of it.
- Yellow markers – the pipeline is most likely in the center of this right of way. It never runs under a house but may run through front or back yards. Tall trees were cut down 1 ½ years ago that were on the pipeline right of way.
- Residents wanted info about construction activity around 156 Street as the pipeline was 15 meters below the road line. They wondered if there would be a trench dug across 156 Street?
- Several residents stated that they would like to know when the FHCA meetings were scheduled. Posters were pasted on mail boxes and on community bulletin boards, Erma Stephenson put the message on their electronic board, the information was on the FHCA website and those who have registered were sent an email. A resident mentioned that there was a Facebook site – My Fraser Heights (it is not connected with our FHCA) that could maybe be used to get the word out about meetings
- It was also suggested that FHCA get a big banner and put it on the corner by the Scotia Bank and Quiznos.
- Put notices in the Leader
Next Meeting will be Wednesday November 28, 2012 in the theatre at Fraser Heights Secondary School at 7 p.m.