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