Back in 2009, we had big plans and we brought them to Municipal Council.
We envisioned the area between Artisan Square, Tir-na-nOg and Leigh Automotive being turned into 24 lots for single family homes alongside rental housing, non-market housing and “micro-homes.” As we saw it, this would be an ideal neighbourhood for young families and people who are struggling to find affordable living situations here on Bowen.
We envisioned a comparable density increase at Seymour Landing, alongside a retreat centre, an inn, and a dock allowing for water taxi service from that side of the island to Vancouver.
None of these plans came to fruition, and in retrospect we are glad they didn’t because we’ve seen as much change happen in the past ten years as we saw in the 25 preceding years. In response we have adjusted our plans and ideas about building homes and communities on Bowen to suit these new conditions.
Here’s what hasn’t changed: Our mandate has always been to build communities where people love to live. We also want those homes to be affordable for most people—this is an ongoing and growing challenge.
In the coming year, we plan to present our vision for making that possible within the framework of three substantial rezoning proposals.
While the vision behind these plans is too complex to get across in a 15-minute council presentation, we want Bowen Islanders to understand our plan and why we think it will work. You can expect to hear more from us on the pages of The Undercurrent, in your mailboxes and via social media in the year to come. — Best regards, Wolfgang Duntz