FRASER HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MINUTES

May 10, 2017

President’s report

• Web site – 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 $2638.85

RCMP update on safety and security – District Commander Cpl (A/Sgt) Bob Keay was in attendance tonight.  He is replacing Laurie Clarkson who was transferred to Richmond.  He can be reached at bob.keay@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.  District #2 Community Response Unit 10395-148 St.  phone # 778-593-3286 – you can leave a voicemail on Bob’s number if there is something taking place in community that you want brought to the attention of RCMP and is not urgent.

• Bob Keay is still in charge of the operations side of the RCMP
• Number of residential break and enters reported in FH from Dec 2016 to Apr 2017 was 79 (Dec – 16, Jan – 18, F – 27, Mar – 6, Apr – 12). Feb recorded the highest number
• Many B&Es occurred early in the morning, after people have left for work (9 to 10 a.m.) but midday and evening (when becomes dark) were also targeted times.
• FH is a wealthy environment targeted by thieves coming from outside the community. It was very concerning there was such a concentrated number so extra surveillance was done.
• Large proportion of B&Es were attributed to several identified individuals – 2 key groups were arrested so March number dropped significantly.
• Your home should be visible from the street – clear away bushes obstructing view to home (thieves can hide behind bushes and break in without been seen)
• Lighting – thieves will go where they can’t be seen so light up your yard using permanently lit lights that come on at dusk and go off at dawn rather than motion detection lights. Make sure the lights are high enough so the bulbs cannot be removed.
• There should be a minimum of 2 locking devices on doors. If possible, secure the frame with metal plates under the locks which help make it much harder for the door to be kicked in.
• Sliding doors and windows can be secured with a deadbolt lock at bottom of slider – pin that goes through (or an expandable pole to jam the slider)
• Window – a wooden dowel or dead bolt are good but bars are the best. Problem is, in emergency, it can be difficult to get out.  Best idea is to put bars on inside so they can be opened in an emergency
• Put timers on your inside lights and have blinds/drapes open during day
• Install alarm system on your home
• Install a safe that is bolted down for your jewelry/important items
• Join or start a Block Watch
• Have a FREE Home Security Assessment completed through Blair Berkner, Community Programs Coordinator. He can be reached at:  Surrey_Crime_Prevention_District_2@rcmp-grc.gc.ca or phone 604-502-6509.
• Stay informed – COSMOS crime mapping http://cosmos.surrey.ca (shows crime trends in throughout Surrey)
• Install the RCMP app on your phone
• Subscribe to eNews
• If you’re going away on holidays, have someone stay at / check in on your house, put timers on lights, have video surveillance. Thieves scoot fast if alarm goes off.
• Leave your phone number with neighbour. If they see something, get them to call police
• Sometimes the crooks have someone ring your bell. If no one answers, they go away and send someone else to break in or they come back
• Make reports to police and to Block Watch so patrols and surveillance can be done
• Violent crimes are decreasing but property and economic crimes are increasing (they steal your ID to buy stuff)
• Pamphlets on home security and Block Watch can be requested through Blair Berkner (see above for contact information)

Surrey Parks, Doug Merry, Parks Planner (djmerry@surrey.ca or phone 604-598-5778) – Presentation on Off-Leash Dog Park at Fraser View Park situated at north-east corner of 160 Street and 112 Ave in Fraser Heights

• The off-leash park in Tynehead is a Metro Vancouver property and is not run by the City of Surrey
• Local neighbourhood parks are good off-leash dog sites as residents with dogs can walk to them. Often, they are a gathering place for the community – benches and possibly a kiosk will be installed
• Fraser View Park was selected as the best option as there’s an open grass area and good sight lines into the park
• To avoid environmental impacts, the area will be fenced – it could be one open area or separated for large/small dogs
• Currently, there is no parking along 112^th Ave on the north side of the street but signs will be removed if dog park goes ahead
• All parks in Surrey are closed dusk to dawn and are not lighted. The dog park will not be lit but fencing should protect dogs from wildlife.
• There will be a Public Open House May 30^th at Dogwood Elementary from 6 to 8 p.m. (will also be on City Website – webpage for Fraser View Park)
• If residents are in agreement, construction will start in fall of 2017

Development – Conceptual Development at 15950 & 15960 108a Ave – by Mr Pomy Grewal

• Ron Gill suggested Mr. Grewal should talk to our association – he owns 2 full size lots on the south side of 108A Ave and to the west of the mall with Red Shiso/Esso.
• The combined size of these two lots is 40 metres wide along 108A, 38 metres deep
• He was proposing putting in a 2 storey building that would blend with the surrounding buildings/houses.  It would contain a preschool, daycare and family doctor’s office that may have up to 2 or 4 doctors and a walk-in clinic on the main level.  It would  also have 24 parking spaces
• Maximum 50 children would be able to attend the preschool/daycare.
• He will contact neighbours in that area, if this project proceeds to planning before the formal process will start
• Property has to be rezoned to accommodate this project so he values the input of our community
• Trees will be lost but he ensured the property will have trees planted once it is built.
• Members concern: Traffic flow could be congested at school times.
• Grewal stated that the hours of the daycare would be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. so children arriving would be staggered. The preschool hours may be adjusted so they do not affect school traffic.

Fraser Heights Wine Cellar – Rebecca Hardin Presentation (Rising Tide Consultants – rebecca@risingtideconsultants.ca or phone 604-669-2928, cell 604-314-0176

• Breanna Paulson is the general manager of this boutique-style store in the corner unit next to Nesters in the Fraser Heights Mall (mall at north east side of 108 Ave/160 St)
• They want to amend the current business zoning (they do have the licence) which restricts the sale of beer, wine spirits and coolers at this location. Residents have requested these items.
• The store size will remain the same but would be rearranged to accommodate extra products
• Locational guidelines by City – no liquor store can be within a radius of 400 metres of a school or playground (this law has been relaxed in areas depending on a community’s wants)
• Customers are asked for ID (19 is legal drinking age). As of Jan 23^rd, if in violation of age limit, customer is given a hefty fine.  Business owner must make sure they don’t make sales to minors or the store is also fined.  If this happens 3 times, the business licence will be revoked
• Gov’t liquor stores, which contain all types of liquor, cannot be within 1 Km of a local licenced retail store (the one at Guildford is more than 1 Km away from FH)
• The Overwaitea development at the north east corner of 104 Ave/156 St has zoning for a liquor store but there was no information about it at this time.

Transmountain Pipeline – update comments

• Modification to proposal – originally, it ran north of the SFPR but now is south of SFPR and the train tracks. This will have a big impact on homes in the area as trees, acting as a sound buffer from the Highways, will be taken down.  Currently, there are 29,000 to 30,000 trucks driving on SFPR and many of them use their noisy engine brakes, even though signage states no engine brakes.  The only noise abatement residents in that area have are those trees as noise abatement fencing cannot be installed there
• KM – submitted proposal to National Energy Board. In early part of this summer, they will arrange a presentation to the community to show impact on FH
• FHCA will send out email in the early part of July to let you know where presentation will be
• The Golden Ears Connector is now open with street lights every block

Directors’ Report

• Amended Proposal – 182a St in East FH / East Abbey Ridge

1. The developer got together with directors/residents and negotiated a compromised plan

• There is a proposal for property near Pacific Academy for nine homes with large lots up by freeway
• Highcrest Development on 9989 Barnston Drive East – information on this development could come in late May or June – FHCA will send emails. The planner is proposing to decrease the 130,000 sq. feet retail that was originally planned down to 10,000 sq. ft. and add another 40 condos and 50 townhomes.  When this comes up for Public Hearing, make your voice heard by going to City Hall and signing in prior to the meeting so we can show how many are in opposition to proposal.  You need to make sure City Clerk is there so when you sign, it is registered and will be delivered to mayor.  Note – this register is a City-wide document and anyone in the City of Surrey can come in and sign.  Once you register, you can leave or stay for the meeting.
• Tree Replacement – Urban manager of forests has provided a chart (on our website) with a list of the tree plantings going on in FH. Let the FHCA directors know places you’d like to see trees planted in FH.  Currently, developers taking down trees for development must put money into the tree fund which covers all of Surrey so trees being replanted may not be in FH.

1. Cedar trees planted along an area of the noise abatement wall have died. These will be removed and replaced with other trees and the City said they would be maintained.

Other information

• FH Greenway from 110 Ave to 108 Ave/156 St – contracts have been granted and plantings will happen soon
• Terry Fox run – the foundation is looking for volunteers in FH to help with the Terry Fox run in September
• Landlords and Tenants – the Newton Community Centre will be doing a presentation by a representative of the Residential Tenancy Board on Wed 24^th at their centre.

The FHCA meetings for the 2017/2018 year will be announced by July or August 2017