Fraud protection

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Surrey RCMP News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
Date:  2017-02-28

 Title:  Let’s talk about Fraud!

Male meets female online. Friendly conversations ensue. Female asks male to help handle her father’s estate. Cheque is mailed, cheque is cashed, cheque determined fraudulent. Female’s online profile is gone. Male out $9,000.

 Sports fan buys tickets on Craigslist. Tickets turn out fraudulent. Sports fan is out $350.

Female receives text message about lottery winnings. Cheque arrives, cheque is deposited with some funds transferred back for “insurance” purposes. Cheque later determined to be fraudulent. Female out $900. 

 

The Surrey RCMP’s Operational Communications Centre receives hundreds of these types of fraud complaints each year.

“It’s heartbreaking,” says Operational Communications Centre Manager Lindsay Scott. “Fraud is so prevalent, it seems everyone you talk to has a story to tell about someone trying to defraud them out of their money.”

With March being Fraud Prevention Month, the Surrey RCMP’s Economic Crime Unit is reminding residents about some common scams and how to protect yourself.

Even police officers have stories

One Surrey RCMP officer describes how his grandmother was scammed by the “grandparent scam”. This scam involves someone on the phone pretending to be a grandchild in trouble and needing money to get out of a jam.

“She’s on a fixed income and lives by herself so $500 was a lot,” says the officer. “She is still so embarrassed by it that she refuses to report it. Her grandchildren aren’t the type to get into trouble, so one would think that she would be wise to this ruse, but it goes to show you that anyone can be a victim.”

Can You Hear Me?

A new scam that the Surrey RCMP’s Economic Crime Unit is warning people about is the “Can You Hear Me?” scam. It has been widely reported on in the United States and is now making its way up to Canada. It essentially involves phone calls being made by scammers asking the victim “can you hear me?” When the victim says “Yes”, the fraudster records it and then uses your affirmative response to purchase and sign up the victim to various consumer goods and services that they didn’t agree to.

Don’t get “over-taxed”

Tax season is just around the corner and police warn that they’re expecting more fraudulent Canada Revenue Agency phone scams.

“While people may have become more educated due to the sheer volume of this type of fraud last year, there’s a strong possibility that it will pop up again and catch people off guard,” says Surrey RCMP Constable Brad Edwards of the Economic Crime Unit.

Show me the money!
Tax time is also when business owners, especially small business owners, rely on their in-house bookkeepers to ensure their books are balanced. Sometimes, however, employers may not realize that they have been the victim of internal fraud before it’s too late. Surrey RCMP has received calls from business owners who have stumbled upon irregularities in their banking records only to realize fraudulent activity by those they have entrusted with their finances. It serves as another reminder about ensuring internal fraud safeguards and best practices are in place.

The postman always rings twice
One of the easiest ways for fraudsters to gain access to your personal information is by stealing your identity. Over the past two months, the Surrey RCMP has seen a slight rise in theft from communal mailboxes at townhouses and apartment complexes. While officers have made some recent arrests of prolific property crime offenders, public vigilance is key in preventing this type of theft – keep your eye out for anyone suspicious.

What can you do?
“Check your mail regularly, be diligent in checking your credit card statements and tracking online purchases, and if it’s too good to be true it probably is,” says Cst. Edwards. “Use only reliable online sources and contact the company directly if you’re still unsure. Always protect sensitive financial information. If you don’t recognize the phone number, don’t answer it. They can always leave a message. And don’t forget to report all frauds to the police!”

For more information on scam and fraud prevention please visit the Surrey RCMP’s website. If you are a victim of fraud, please contact your local police and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online.

Committed to serving the Community

Your Surrey RCMP is committed to providing a sensitive, responsive, professional policing service for all Surrey communities. For more information about Surrey RCMP Programs & Services, how to Protect Yourself, or our latest News Releases visit www.surrey.rcmp.ca.


For media inquiries contact:

Cpl. Scotty Schumann
Media Relations Officer
Surrey RCMP Media Relations Unit
Office: 604.599.7776
Email: surrey_media_relations@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Abbey Ridge (East Fraser Heights) Highcrest development application

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At the FHCA meeting on February 22, many questions were asked about the Highcrest application to significantly reduce the commitment to retail space and the resulting neighbourhood center, and replace it with more residential buildings. The letter that was sent to local residents is included below.  Many at the meeting asked how they could express their opinion. In the letter below, it is indicated that responses could be sent to the planner, dnip@surrey.ca.

You can also send your thoughts to any and all of the mayor and council at the following email addresses – please cc directors@fhca.ca :

Mayor Linda Hepner:           mayor@surrey.ca

Councillor Tom Gill :              TSGill@surrey.ca

Councillor Bruce Hayne:       BruceHayne@surrey.ca

Councillor Vera LeFranc:      Vera.LeFranc@surrey.ca

Councillor Mary Martin:         MMartin@surrey.ca

Councillor Mike Starchuck:   Mike.Starchuck@surrey.ca

Councillor Barbara Steele:   HBSteele@surrey.ca

Councillor Judy Villeneuve:  JAVilleneuve@surrey.ca

Councillor Dave Woods:      Dave.Woods@surrey.ca

For anyone that wants to write in their opinion, you should begin the letter referencing: Proposed Development at 9933 Barnston Drive East, File 7916-0037-00

You should include your name and address. You should then indicate whether you are in favour or opposed to the proposed development.

Some of the points discussed last night included:

  • reduction and close to elimination of a neighbourhood community retail center, from approximately 142,000 square feet to approximately 10,000 square feet
  • the replacement of this space with further residential units, providing further stress on our neighbourhood infrastructure, including parking, traffic, school loading – and transit (of which there is currently no service, resulting in even greater concerns on parking and traffic)
  • The basis of approval of the entire project in 2008 by Surrey Council was ”While the proposal, if approved, would result in the loss of some employment lands, it has the potential to trigger the development of a neighbourhood village centre with up to 100,000 square feet of commercial space to serve the nearby emerging urban and established suburban neighbourhoods.” With the additional residential load being placed on the East Fraser Heights / Abbey Ridge area as a result of the new LAP, the need for a neighbourhood village is even greater now than in was in 2008. There was concern that the City is considering reversing the basis of approval for the project in the first place, and now that the social costs for the project going ahead have been incurred, the City would be abandoning the social benefits
  • Some indicated that they moved to the area on the promise of a retail service being in the area.
  • You should also include any aspects of the development that you would find beneficial or raise concerns for you and your family.

 

Highcrest 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highcrest 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FHCA Meeting minutes, November 30, 2016

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FRASER HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MINUTES
November 30, 2016

President’s report
• Web site – www.fhca.ca
• Ed MacIntosh, president
• FHCA is a volunteer non-profit organization – we volunteer our time to represent the community dealing with issues that affect our community such as safety, traffic, development
• The FHCA gathers four times a year to discuss issues that affect our community
• FHCA helps shape policy and issues that involve our 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). This is our primary site to collect comments from residents about community issues so we know about them and can send them on to the City.
• Membership is free. If you are not currently on the email list, go to our website and sign up (on the right side of website page). You will receive four notifications and four reminders of the upcoming meetings per year. There may also be notifications of open houses or events affecting FH residents.
• Our Community Association mailing address is PO Box 74042, Surrey, V4N 1N9.

Treasurer’s report
• Financial statement – total account balance is $2,727.97

RCMP update on safety and security – District Commander Sergeant Laurie Clarkson was in attendance tonight. She can be reached at Laurie.Clarkson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. District #2 Community Response Unit 10395-148 St. phone # 604-502-6500 – you can leave a voicemail on Laurie’s number if there is something taking place in community that you want brought to the attention of RCMP and is not urgent.
• Crime stats (suspicious persons, B&E, theft from motor vehicles) were up from 2015 to 2016 (Sept – Nov). The lowest amount of crime was in Nov 2016 of the past 3 months.
• If you see something suspicious, call 911 or non-emergency # 604-599-0502 to report it or call your block watch captain who will contact RCMP (Blair and Laurie) You can now also use the new Surrey RCMP app to report incidences.
• Surrey RCMP have just released an app that can be downloaded for free. It contains “Call Us, Police Station Locations, News, Events, Help Identify, Missing Persons, Most Wanted, Emergency Alerts and Crime Stoppers”. It is worth downloading onto your mobile device.
• There was a request made by a resident, who lived in the vicinity of the two recent homicides, for more police patrols and asked if the city was going to put cameras in the streets (as Abbotsford has). Laurie said there were more patrols now but did not know if Surrey was going to install cameras.
• If you notice any suspicious cars, take plate numbers, contact RCMP and the police will run them immediately – you can do this anonymously but it is better to leave a contact name/number in case they need to follow up later on.

• Blair Berkner is the new Community Programs Coordinator. He took over from Heather Paradis, who is on maternity leave. He can be reached at: Surrey.Crime.Prevention.District.2@remp-grc.ga.ca or phone 604-502-6509.
• Blair brought a handout on outdoor lighting for safety and security (put out by bchydro.com). Motion sensor lighting helps deter crime and prevents concealment of thieves (especially in these dark winter months when it is easier to hide in the dark). If you call Blair, the RCMP will come out and do a home security assessment to let you how to make your home safer. If you put lights on timers, use multiple on/off times and vary those times for the days you are absent. More information can be obtained by calling Hydro at 604-431-9463
• Project Iris is a registry for anyone with a video surveillance camera system so if something happens in your neighbourhood, those people on the registry can be asked for footage (they can choose whether to provide police with footage or not). RCMP/City of Surrey want to put together a collective data base for residential and businesses who have cameras that record live footage. See information at City of Surrey website under www.surrey.ca/publicsafety or http://www.surrey.ca/community/20957.aspx
• Contact Blair if your neighbourhood wants to start a Block Watch
• Don’t leave your car warming up outside unless you sit in it.
• Alarm your house – windows and doors can be wired
• Jewelry/cash – put in secure place such as a safe bolted to the floor

Development – Update on Oct 18 Public Open House for Abbey Ridge (east of 172):
• Originally this area was called East Fraser Heights/Abbey Ridge but FH was dropped from this name. Anything north of #1/ south of SFPR is normally considered part of FH
• A year ago, the FH REC centre was packed for an open house about this area.
• At the meeting on Oct 16, 2016, Don Luymes stated that the density of Abbey Ridge was scaled back slightly from what had originally been planned.
• Since then, some FH directors and residents had a meeting with Canadian Horizons who have made 3 proposals for that area
• The area from 182A/98 Ave has a 40 lot subdivision that has all RF 13 lots proposed (these are 8 to 10 units per acre). These are small lots with big 3 storey homes, most containing suites and have an extra parking spot along the front of the house.
• The 49 lot subdivision has 8 RF or slightly bigger and 41 lots are RF13.
• The community wants to stop this. We need to get as many people to go to City hall/write emails as possible so these proposals don’t get passed. See Surrey.ca for list of councillors and their contact information (http://www.surrey.ca/city-government/2999.aspx). This is just the start of developing that area so if this is allowed, it will set a precedence of small lots/big houses for future developments in that area.
• The map showed townhouses on a site by the gorge
• This developer, Canadian Horizons, has spent the last few years assembling land in FH – they were proud of the RF12 in Morgan Creek they have completed (very small lots with large houses and suites).
• Stage 2 hasn’t passed but will be going before council before Christmas. Please write the mayor and each council member before Christmas
• The City is only required to send letters to residents that live within 100 meters of a proposed development. One block is 200 meters so 100 meters is a ½ block in any direction from the site. Those selling their lots won’t protest and often, they’d be the only ones getting the letters. Let your neighbours and our FH Community Association know if you see green signs going up.
• Ed MacIntosh created a page of the information you should include in your email which you can get by emailing him or at www.fhca.ca.
• State you are opposed to the proposal. Note the proposal # on your email. Say you are not opposed to development but not at the density proposed. If you have ideas as to what you’d like put in that area, suggest it (e.g., RF housing instead of RF13).
• These small lots could devalue the property values of existing homes in the area.
• The townhomes at High Crest are still being constructed – these will have a heavy impact on our community as well.
• Abbey Ridge children would be in the Bothwell catchment area. Bothwell does have some space for new elementary students but not at the density proposed by all the developments going into this area. Fraser Heights Secondary School is 40% over capacity and has multiple portables on site (and this is after an extension to the school). The school population figures were as of Nov 2016 – the total capacity may not be correct as class sizes will be reduced as per the Supreme Court of Canada ruling which will come into effect in 2017 Sept.

SCHOOL / CAPACITY / ENROLMENT / (UNDER) OVER
Bothwell / 315 / 210 /(105)
Dogwood / 490 / 367 / (123)
Erma Stephenson / 415 / 463 / 48
Fraser Wood / 528 / 528 / 0
Fraser Hts Secondary / 1000 / 1405 / 405

List of Developments:
• 5 new developments have passed 3rd reading at City Hall this year
• All were RF subdivisions – total of 43 homes
• Council meeting on Monday Dec 5th (advertised in Now paper this past Thursday) – the revised Parkview Place proposal is up for final reading and will most likely pass. It originally was full of RF12s a year ago but residents sent letters and showed up at public hearings to get the density decreased. There are now 58 lots – density 5.14 units per acre.
• 11 RF homes had already been passed
• Note, with all the development in the Parkview Place area, there will be around 99 homes which will make it fairly densely populated with limited access.

Trans Mountain pipeline:
• Meeting at Holiday Inn at Guildford on December 1, 6 to 8 p.m. to show proposed routes.
• They are staying to the Perimeter Road side, will jump up one of the hills and then back down

Traffic Circle (108 Ave/156 St) Public Art presentation by Liane Davidson (Visual and Community Art Manager):
• Surrey Public Art was established in 1998 (see website www.surrey.ca/publicart or http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/1653.aspx) and is put on City land, usually in a high traffic area so will be seen by many. There is a map online of all public art in Surrey and a page on Guildford/FH on the site. Public art is at 152 St/Lincoln Dr (north end of Aquatic Centre) to welcome those coming off the Port Mann Bridge into Surrey.
• It is funded by taking 1.25% of hard construction costs when building new civic facilities, not from public taxes.
• Public art is guided/selected by residents
• In 2006, there was a recommendation for art in the traffic circle at 108 Ave/158 St but no money was available at that time. Instead, a tree was planted in that circle.
• $90,000 was budgeted for public art at 108 Ave/156 St a year ago and an infrastructure was installed in the traffic circle to support the art. The project is on hold to allow the community time to think about it. Planting a big tree is not an option for this roundabout as there are too many services running under the circle that could be compromised by a tree.
• Artwork that sits high above a traffic circle helps identify a roundabout is ahead. It is lit at night with soft light.
• Although the Public Art was recommended for the roundabout, it is possible to suggest other sites as long as they are on City land. There is a structure already inside the FH Rec Centre.
• 104 Ave/160 St is also a FH Gateway but it is provincial land so the City cannot place art there.
• If you have ideas on other locations in FH for public art, contact Liane
• Art Themes our community might like to explore could be about transportation past and present, nature, Circle of Connection etc., (as we are like an island between two Hwys (#1 and #17 or SFPR).
• Multipurpose Room 5 is reserved at Rec centre for Tues Jan 10th, at 7 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss sites and locations and what type of art for the Public Art in FH

Fraser Heights Pond Planting presentation by Tamsin Baker:
• Tamsin Baker is the Stewardship Coordinator of the South Coast Conservation Program which facilitates the conservation of species and ecological communities that are at risk. They can be contacted at www.sccp.ca, on Facebook or contact them directly at info@sccp.ca
• BC Conservation Data Centre – their guide shows how various species are doing – red is for endangered or threatened, blue is to keep an eye on, yellow – the species is OK
• Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
• Development and changes in landscape are the biggest threats to animals/plants
• Rare Critters of FH:
a) Fraser Glen Pond at Fraser Glen Dr and 104 Ave has the Pacific Water Shrew (an insectivore). These little pointed-nose rodents are federally endangered. They exist in only 25 locations in Canada. They like to hunt for insects in the water. Hairs on their feet allow them to run across the water really quickly (also called Jesus Shrew). To capture prey, they blow bubbles
b) Pacific Great Blue Heron is a species of special concern. They may stand along pond feeding or may nesting there. Their nests are protected by law. Give them a lot of space and do not disturb.
c) Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly – It is found from July to Nov
d) Anderson’s Water Boatman – swims in the water. Its hind legs look like oars and it eats plants by injecting a straw-like structure into the plant, injecting digestive enzymes then sucking up the juices formed.
• City of Surrey is onboard with the various projects of planting native species and removing invasive species (such as blackberry). In 2015, part of the southern side of Fraser Glen Pond was planted along with BCIT student volunteers. A March 2016 planting had the help of high school student volunteers. At last month’s planting, it poured with rain but many volunteers helped and 400 plants were put into ground that day. The City supplies the tools, plants and food for the volunteers.
• There will be more work parties for this pond – the dates are to be determined.
• There is a Nature Stewards program that can help residents to improve their own property using native plants (may even get some free plants). For information on this, contact Tamsin at tamsin@sccp.ca, 604-202-2381, or www.sccp.ca
• Beavers still exits at the pond – new plantings have been fenced so beavers don’t eat them

The upcoming FHCA meetings for the 2016/2017 year will be:
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Wednesday May 10, 2017

Increased density in Fraser Heights

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PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL

The Community of Fraser Heights is a very popular & desirable place in which to live & raise a family. It consists of the all lands North of Highway 1, bound by Golden Ears Way on the East & the Fraser River on the North & Western boundary. It is very important that when circumstances arise in any one area of Fraser Heights that can have an impact on our entire Community, we all need to rally together so that we may resolve these situations in a manner that will ensure we continue to maintain our desired neighbourhood.

We currently have such a situation in the eastern portion of Fraser Heights & in particular in Abbey Ridge. In March of 2015 City of Surrey Council authorized staff to start a process of increasing densities of homes in a program now referred to as the ABBEY RIDGE LAND USE CONCEPT PLAN. With what is now the “preferred option” the City is now looking to double & triple the densities of what the area is currently zoned. Public open houses were held on June 25 & Oct 1,2015. That’s it!!! A committee of residents of the area to provide on going dialogue & input would have been an excellent idea, but that never happened. On Oct 18, 2016 a Public Open House was held to discuss transportation, design & development guidelines, an engineering servicing plan & financial strategy that will fund the infrastructure, phasing of development, & Community amenities for Abbey Ridge.

This matter was discussed at our Fraser Heights Community meeting on Nov 30. It is very clear that the residents of Abbey Ridge do not agree with the new zoning densities being suggested for their area. They also do not agree with the infrastructure, engineering & funding proposal put forward because it is founded on flawed assumptions. All residents of Fraser Heights should make their opposition known to Surrey Council. It is very important that you comment on the infrastructure, engineering & funding proposal very quickly as this proposal has not yet been presented to Council.

    If you do not want to see this significant increase in density and crowding in Fraser Heights, please send your objection to the Mayor, Council, and Planning.

Listed below for your convenience are the email addresses for the Mayor & Council:

Mayor Linda Hepner: mayor@surrey.ca
Councillor Tom Gill : TSGill@surrey.ca
Councillor Bruce Hayne: BruceHayne@surrey.ca
Councillor Vera LeFranc: Vera.LeFranc@surrey.ca
Councillor Mary Martin: MMartin@surrey.ca
Councillor Mike Starchuck: Mike.Starchuck@surrey.ca
Councillor Barbara Steele: HBSteele@surrey.ca
Councillor Judy Villeneuve: JAVilleneuve@surrey.ca
Councillor Dave Woods: Dave.Woods@surrey.ca

CITY PLANNER – STEPHANIE LONG — slong@surrey.ca

C.C. FRASER HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION — directors@fhca.ca

You can object with some of these concerns:

* The lots are too small
* Homes will be large and have suites
* Inadequate property parking resulting in too many vehicles parking on the street
* Streets are inadequate streets to handle the traffic volume
* Plan does not fit in with the existing community look and feel

Be sure to include your name and address, and reference the development proposals below:

PROPOSED NEW DEVELOPMENT IN FRASER HEIGHTS (ABBEY RIDGE)
PROPOSAL NO. 16 – 0029 40 LOT SUBDIVISION. ALL LOTS RF-13 (NORTH OF BARNSTON DRIVE &182A ST. TO 98 AVE.)
PROPOSAL NO. 16 – 0032 49 LOT SUBDIVISION. 8 LOTS CD (BASED ON RF), 41 LOTS RF – 13 (BARNSTON DRIVE TO LYNCEAN DRIVE, WEST SIDE OF 179 ST )

Share and Care Program

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The Share and Care program is a 55+ program run by the Seniors Comeshare Society. We provide a safe and warm
environment for seniors to be able to engage with each other and refreshments are provided. The program will sometimes have a guest speaker or a workshop available.

Starts Tuesday, November 29th
Fraser Heights Recreation Centre
Multi-Purpose Room 3
10:30am-12:30pm
FREE DROP-IN PROGRAM
Runs every Tuesday, All seniors welcome!

seniors

FHCA Meeting minutes

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FRASER HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MINUTES
May 4, 2016

President’s report
• Web site – www.fhca.ca
• Ed MacIntosh, president
• FHCA is a volunteer non-profit organization – we volunteer our time to represent the community dealing with issues that affect our community such as safety, traffic, development
• The FHCA gathers four times a year to discuss issues that affect our community
• FHCA helps shape policy and issues that involve our 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). This is our primary site to collect comments from residents about community issues so we know about them and can send them on to the City.
• If you are not currently on the email list, go to our website and sign up (on the right side of website page). You will receive four notifications and four reminders of the upcoming meetings per year. There may also be notifications of open houses or events affecting FH residents.
• Our Community Association mailing address is PO Box 74042, Surrey, V4N 1N9.

Treasurer’s report
• Financial statement – total account balance is $2990.19

RCMP update on safety and security – District Commander Sergeant Laurie Clarkson was in attendance tonight. She can be reached at Laurie.Clarkson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
• Jun 2015 to Jun 2016 incidents in our district dropped from 233 to 219
• #1 criminal activity was theft from motor vehicles
• Tynehead Park was heavily hit by criminal activity which accounted for most of the incidents so police did a blitz in the parking lot to inform people about the thefts and how to reduce risk of them happening.
• Don’t leave valuables in trunk as it is easy to break into the trunk
• False alarms and 911 calls (pocket dial or from home alarms) – Police must attend these and they take time and resources to investigate so please let alarm company know if it is a false alarm and store your phone so it doesn’t pocket dial.
• B&E of residences – 3 prolific thieves were arrested in June so numbers dropped significantly (not felt to be gang related and these thieves may or may not been working together)
• By-law noise complaints – reported incidents were higher in August as many people have their windows open. If noise continues past bylaw time restriction (believed to be 11 p.m.), don’t hesitate to call these in. Be considerate of your neighbours.
• If you see something suspicious, call 911 or non-emergency # 604-599-0502 to report it or call your block watch captain who will contact RCMP (Heather and Laurie)
• District #2 Community Response Unit 10395-148 St. phone # 604-502-6500 is used for the district office – you can leave a voicemail on Laurie’s number if there is something taking place in community that you want brought to the attention of RCMP
• Roundabouts – it was discovered that the proper usage of roundabouts is not taught in the driving schools nor is it on the driving tests. More and more of these circles are showing up in Surrey and surrounding cities/municipalities. People are having accidents and causing problems at/in these circles as they do not know how to use them. Across Canada, the rules are the same – seehttp://www.th.gov.bc.ca/roundabouts
a) Reduce your speed, watch for road signs, watch for pedestrians and cyclists and be ready to stop.
b) ALWAYS yield to traffic in the roundabout as they have the right of way. Wait for a safe gap in the traffic before entering.
c) Enter the roundabout to the right and continue counter-clockwise until you reach your exit.
d) Use your right turn signal to exit and again, watch for pedestrians and cyclists.

REMEMBER – the roundabout at 156 St and 108 Ave is a part of the Fraser Heights Greenway project so it is imperative to watch for cyclists and pedestrians.

We also received this from the City of Surrey on the use of roundabouts:
We have a page on our website on Roundabouts here: http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/4790.aspx

This page includes a link to a ICBC page on how to use a roundabout as well: http://www.icbc.com/road-safety/driving-tips/Pages/How-to-use-roundabout.aspx

• Heather Paradis heather.paradis@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, could not attend tonight’s meeting

Development:
• RF-13 – This new zoning provides slightly larger lots than RF-12. It also allows slightly larger homes. It provides an extra parking spot per house(3 across the front driveway). Providing the 3rd parking spot will also apply to other zonings such as RF.
Parkview place development was revised from 70 lots to 58 lots, 32 of these lots are RFG – they are a bit narrower and approximately 2000 sq ft smaller than RF. There is one CD lot – this house is up against 167 St – higher fence, more trees. With a stream and pipeline going through this development, some of this land was reserved for parkland and a playground for children. The average units per acre was about 5.14. There was a Public meeting in May at the community centre. Since then, more trees are being saved along freeway. This revised development should go to 2nd reading in October unless the City of Surrey hears from the community. The new Multi-purpose pathway will go through this development.
• Note: Basement square footage is not included in the total sq ft allowed for the houses – so the 2800 sq ft limit does not include a possible 1000 sq ft basement that could have a basement suite. Parking will be 3 wide across the front of the house.

• PUBLIC HEARING – East Fraser Heights and Abbey Ridge development is now called Abbey Ridge. There will be a public hearing at Fraser Heights Secondary school on Tuesday, Oct 18th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Please advise your neighbours to attend. Abbey Ridge runs from 172 to 182A Streets and from # 1 Hwy to Fraser River.
• Higher densities are proposed in that area – residents are encouraged to come view the plans
• Contact Don Luymes at 604-591-4606 or at DLuymes@surrey.ca if you have any questions or concerns about this project.
• See more at: http://surrey.ca/city-services/20959.aspx?startDate=Oct-02-2016#sthash.1VML8TGY.dpuf

List of Developments:
• 108 Ave and 155 Street Variance
• 160 St and 108A – 2 RF houses and a parking lot
• 101 Ave and 176 St – church – CD and 3 lots
• 172 St and 100 Ave – 12 RF lots
• 173 St and 100 Ave – 11 RF lots
• 174 St and 100 Ave – 5 RF lots
• 156 St and 110 Ave – 9 RF lots – one is 1 1/3 acre and other is acre
• 157 St and 110 Ave – 5 RF lots
• Parkview Place – 11 RF lots (went before council and planning said will go before council in October), 58 RF-G and RF and CD

Note:
• Over the next year or two, over 150 additional homes will be added to Fraser Heights
• Fraser Heights High school is overfull, even with the new addition to the school.
• There is a little wiggle room in elementary schools for new students. The school district does not leave much space in schools to accommodate new development so new students to the area may have to attend another school until the next school year if enough spots, in their catchment school, aren’t available.
• Many of these new homes, especially those with suites, will probably have 3 vehicles per home. Currently there is only 1 road in/out.

A request was made for interested residents who would like to help our Association work with Developers so we don’t end up with problems similar to those the Clayton area is facing. Please send your name and email address to the directors (on website)
• 156 St, (from 108 to 112 Avenues) should be finished in 2018. There are still some larger properties to be developed along 156 that may delay this completion date.

Art work in roundabout at 108 Ave and 156 St. This was on Global News tonight, in several newspapers and on MyFraserHeights Facebook site.
• Our community was given 3 days to give our public input. The consensus at the meeting was that the community did not want art work at that roundabout location. A sign that said “Welcome to Fraser Heights” and vegetation that was low would be best suited to the roundabout. This idea was apparently dismissed by the art work group at the City as they don’t put in signs, only art work
• $90,000 was budgeted for this project a year ago but there was no consultation with our community
• Expression of interest with the artists will be on Sept 27, 2016. It was reported that residents at 157 St roundabout asked for art work at that roundabout when it was built but no monies were available then so instead, they put in a tree.
• Out of all the responses, there was one positive response and the rest were negative in regards to installing art in the roundabout.
• It was mentioned that the Terry Fox signs that had been placed in the roundabout on the day of the event were knocked over. People don’t know how to use a roundabout and aren’t staying on the roadway – they are going over the median.
• The base for the art structure was put in by Engineering but they were not involved in the planning – they installed it as it was cheaper to do when the roundabout was going in than at a later date.
• 5 feet by 5 feet by 10 feet tall was the scope of the project – this was a real concern for visibility around the roundabout.
• Drivers need to watch their driving and look for cars/pedestrians/cyclists, not art.
• Residents expressed that the art work would be welcome at other places in FH such as at the Rec Centre
• Having the artwork could make it even more dangerous for students going through the roundabout on their way to school, and for other pedestrians and cyclists. Drivers could be distracted and have/cause accidents
• More pedestrian signs were recently placed at/near the roundabout
• Developers pay extra money to the City for funding art work. 20th Ave and 144 St has a double eagle and elder moon – can see through it.
• If interested – residents can sit in on selection process
• A link to councillors was posted on the fhca.ca website so residents can contact them to voice their opinions on public art. Roundabouts are not the place for art.
• Currently, there are people who speed through the roundabout and tractor trailers that go over it. Who would be responsible for repairing the art work if it is hit?
• Where would residents like to see art in FH? –Rec Centre? 160 St/104 Ave at gateway to FH?
• This is taxpayers’ money – we should be able to have what we want and where we want it put.

Members Concerns/Announcements:
• Concerns were raised about the ability of residents to enter/exit the Parkview Place development as currently there is only one way in/out. (There will be a second road created along the #1 Hwy side that will exit onto 168 St near Pacific Academy).

The FHCA meetings for the 2016/2017 year will be:
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Wednesday May 10, 2017

FINAL Public Open House: East Fraser Heights / Abbey Ridge Development Plan

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WHAT: FINAL Public Open House East Fraser Heights / Abbey Ridge Local Area Plan Stage 2
Final Report & Land Use Concept Plan (see map below, between 172 Street and 182 A Street)

WHEN: Tuesday, October 18th, 2016 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm ( Presentation @ 6:30 pm.)

WHERE: Fraser Heights Secondary School Hub Area and Theatre 16060 108 Avenue, Surrey

This is to advise that City staff will be holding a Public Open House on Tuesday, October 18th, 2016 regarding the Abbey Ridge Local Area Plan (LAP). This Open House will provide residents, owners, and other interested parties with an opportunity to view and comment on the proposed Local Area Plan (LAP) and Stage 2 ‘Final Report’ for the Abbey Ridge area. The purpose of this meeting is to show refinements of the Land Use Concept Plan, transportation, design and development guidelines, an engineering servicing plan, and a financial strategy that will fund infrastructure, phasing of development, and community amenities for the Abbey Ridge LAP.

City staff will be on hand to answer questions during the evening and will give a brief presentation at approximately 6:30 pm. Feedback from the Open House will be considered and documented before a final Stage 2 Report and Local Area Plan is presented to Council.

If you have any questions or comments, please phone me at 604-591-4606 or email me at DLuymes@surrey.ca. For plan history and information, please visit our website at http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/17185.aspx. The LAP area is shown on the map on the reverse side of this page.

Yours truly,

Don Luymes Manager, Community Planning

ABBEY RIDGE LAP – STUDY AREA

east-fraser-heights

FRASER HEIGHTS POND PLANTING EVENT

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On Saturday, October 15, the South Coast Conservation Program is hosting a

FRASER HEIGHTS POND PLANTING EVENT

Fraser Heights, Surrey

Help the local wildlife at the Fraserglen pond by planting native vegetation!
Join us, in partnership with the City of Surrey, to add native plants around the pond.
Learn about the local species at risk that call the area home.
pond
11:00 am to 1:30 pm

Supplies (such as tools and gloves) and snacks provided.

Meet at the pond (Fraserglen Drive and 104th Avenue)
October 15 2016

Registration for this event is appreciated.
REGISTER by sending an email to tamsin@sccp.ca with the subject line “Registration for Fraserglen pond planting”.

Event is rain or shine so dress for the weather. Boots are recommended.