Minutes, September 18, 2013 FHCA meeting

Posted on October 7, 2013 by lryerson

FRASER HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MINUTES

September 18, 2013

 President’s report

  • Web site – www.fhca.ca
  • Lindsay Ryerson, president
  • FHCA is a volunteer organization – we volunteer our time to represent the community
  • If you have problems in our community, please send your information to us and we will look into these issues (go to Contact Us on the fhca.ca website).

 

Treasurer’s report

  • Financial statement – total account balance is $4,363.96

 

Police and Security – Staff Sargent Dean Scott

  • Dean Scott, Div 2 commander for the RCMP (for the past 3 years), is assigned to this area.  Dean is at the RCMP office at 5 every morning so contact him with any concerns you might have – he is excellent at answering emails or forwarding them to the appropriate departments.  His email address is dean.scott@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
  • Dean had planned on attending the meeting but due to unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to come.

 

Traffic Issues

  • 156th Street traffic issues – request for light at 108th St. – Residents said 156 St. northbound can be backed up from the vet’s office at 104 Ave all the way to 108 Ave. preventing cars from turning onto 156 from 104 Ave.  A consultant will be hired to examine this intersection.
  • 104 Ave eastbound to SFPR (South Fraser Perimeter Road) – there is a left turn signal now – it has been in place for about a month
  • Plans for an exit to 104 Ave heading west from SFPR are in the works – somehow it is slated to be fitted in advance of the jug handle.  Final drawings have not been released yet and there is no date as to when this will happen – at the moment it remains an illegal right turn.
  • HOV – on west side of Port Mann the HOV lanes are for vehicles containing more than one person between 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.  From 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays and from 7 p.m. Friday till 6 a.m. Monday (also on holidays), the HOV lane is open to all traffic.  On the east side of the Port Mann Bridge, the HOV lanes are in effect 24/7.  Residents expressed concern over the lack of signage stating this as many people have been caught by police for driving in the HOV lanes on this side of the Port Mann bridge in the off-peak hours.
  • Sept 30th, 3 pm at the City Hall Conference Centre, Rick Sparrow will be speaking for 10 minutes about problems on 156th Street.  At 111A Ave/156 St, the curb is extended out 6 feet into road which has left the road too narrow and unsafe.  With the new houses being built in that area, the pavement along 156 St from 108 to 112 Ave is in a state of disrepair.  The City said they are waiting for the development to happen before fixing the problem.  Resident stated that it could be 20 years or more before all the old houses are sold and redevelopment happens along that stretch of 156 St.
  • When residents have approached the City about 156 St, the City has said “no one else has talked to us about this issue” – they need to be reminded they have been contacted many times.
  • Residents have asked to have the City to review slowing down the traffic by Northview Park (on west side of 156 Street at 111 Ave) by adding signage but the City said the current signage meets North American Standards therefore there will be no action.
  • The more people that phone and complain to the City, the more they will realize this is unacceptable.  Email, don’t phone as there is a paper trail – there is a comment site on the Surrey website where you can submit your complaints.
  • SFPR – It is partially open now and will definitely be open in Dec – exact date is not known yet.  Traveling to the ferries/Richmond/airport will really improve once it opens.  Noise abatement pavement has really helped reduce the noise of traffic. This road is not expected to be tolled in order to encourage trucks to use it. 

 

Twinning of Trans Mountain Pipeline

  • Instead of twinning the existing pipeline with the existing pipeline locations, Trans Mountain Pipeline is currently studying running the 2nd pipeline along the SFPR or other areas so it won’t be in or along residents’ backyards.  They are also looking at alternate routes to go through Bridgeview and Langley for the least disruption of property.  There was a meeting at the end of June but the results have not yet been released.
  • Trans Mountain does have a website and when it shows a map of where the pipeline is definitely to go, we’ll put a link to this website on our website.  The existing pipeline is on their website but the proposed one is not clear.

 

Member’s corner:

  • Grow-ops – 154 St and 109 Ave – one was just shut down this week.  Residents wanted more patrols as they have said it takes a long time before the police do anything about these houses.  The RCMP are aware of this.
  • Mailboxes in the FH area have been broken into – In the last month, 19 boxes in FH have been broken into and 28 in the Cloverdale area.  Residents who’ve had their community boxes broken into have to go to either Cloverdale or to King George Blvd to pick up their mail, depending on where they live in FH.
  • The thieves seem to be targeting the slider lock at the bottom of the parcel boxes.   Residents asked why the mail from the community boxes that have been vandalized wouldn’t go to Nesters – Nester’s could not secure the volume of mail that would come from all these mailboxes. 
  • PO boxes – with the expansion of Nesters, there might still be some mail boxes available for renting. 
  • Canada Post is working on switching out the locks so they are difficult to open (main locks).  Some boxes have had the main locks changed so they cannot be jimmied but it takes time to change out all the mailboxes that have been hit.
  • One resident suggested fundraising money to put toward getting all the FH mailboxes fitted with the new locks – Heather will contact Canada Post about this.  All boxes are expected to upgraded, in time.
  • Residents are urged to pick mail up daily – without any mail in the boxes, the thieves would be encouraged to move on.  Some of the community boxes are being broken into on a monthly basis and on Long weekends as many people may not have picked up their mail.
  • Garage sales – Residents requested that people take their signs down after their garage sales are over – they are an eyesore. 

 

Transit plan:

 

Recycling depot:

  • An Application for recycling depot at 104 Ave and 173 St has been put forth (at foot of hill on 104 Ave as you head toward the SFPR). 
  • There were concerns that trucks would pass through the whole community on the way to the recycling depot and that nails etc. could drop off these trucks onto our local streets.
  • The City will be having an information session with the proposal  – that info will be on our website as to when the session will be held (location and date)
  • Trucks may come in saying they are making local deliveries when in fact, they are heading to the recycling depot – this could mean 100s of trucks could be using our roadways.
  • If you have concerns, please email your concerns to City Hall
  • We need to know types of trucks will be passing through and what they will be carrying.

 

Fraser Heights Secondary School Extension

  • It is due to open at the end of the first term or the beginning of February 2014.

 

Liquor Store Application:

  • It was turned down by the City of Surrey at the end of June so neither the original or revised location will be allowed to have a Liquor Store
  • As of Sept 1, 2013, Swordfern Management Ltd, from Richmond, has taken over ownership of the Fraser Heights mall from Kevington Building Corp.  They’ve done some cleaning up of the mall and there should be some new tenants moving in

 

 Other community news:

  • George Pedersson, President of the Rotary Club of Surrey-Fraser Heights, talked about the Rotary club. 

a)           Each club focuses on helping their community.  The FH Rotary club is only 4 years old.  They would love to talk to you about any concerns in the community.

b)           They focus on helping people to become connected to the community and country and help to facilitate integration of individuals into society

c)           They mentor and help the youth.  There is a young Rotarians club at the high school that has 106 students as members who are learning about leadership and giving back to the community as a way to impact the world.

d)           They help those forgotten by society to experience life at a level they hadn’t previously done so.

e)           There are currently 9 members in the FH club – if you want to find out more info, contact George by phone at 604-809-1157 or by email at gpederss@direct.ca.  Their website is www.rotary.org (they are District 5050)

f)             Their goal is to give back to society and expect nothing in return.

g)           Their meetings are on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. at Boston Pizza (and there may also be 4 or 5 other meetings a year).

h)           At Christmas, they put together 100 to 150 gift bags for the homeless and deliver them.

  • Surrey Board of Trade can help deal with traffic, environmental, tax and financial issues – they have members who specifically deal with these problems.  If you want the City or province to hear your complaints, the Surrey Board of Trade has a lot of credibility with the gov’t.
  • Residents complained that parking at the FH mall is very limited as students and parents of students are parking there.  Currently, portables and construction are taking up much of the parking spaces in the school lots.  Once construction is finished, much of the parking will be restored to the high school.  Once construction is finished, there will be a 2nd drop off at the side and front of school.  The gates will be open to the Recreation Centre so people can flow through easier.  As a community association, there is not a lot we can do – complain to the mall to enforce their parking.  School has warned students they will be towed if they park there. 

 

 

Next Meeting will be Tuesday November 12, 2013 in the theatre at Fraser Heights Secondary School at 7 p.m.    

Future meetings will be:  February 19th and May 7th, 2014

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