I would like to comment on a few of the statements made in Mayor Murdock's letter about the Quadra McKenzie Plan. I see things a little differently.

He says that this plan "sees more individuals and families settle in our neighbourhoods and around our centres while maintaining the things that make our community special." He says, "It's about enhancing your community while preserving what you love most about it."

I'm wondering what he feels makes our community special. And what he thinks the residents love most about it.

For me, this plan will not preserve the things I love that make my community special. I love the neighbourhoods, the people in them and the associated connections, the trees, the spaces between the houses, and not being able to touch the actual residences when you walk down the street because they are set back with yards and usually greenery. I love the character of each house and garden as they express individual personalities.

The density in this plan will not happen overnight but it will happen. When it does, it will take with it everything that makes neighbourhoods unique and special. I know so many people in my area that sometimes my walk takes much longer than expected due to conversations along the way.

In contrast, my daughter lives in the Lower Mainland in an area that is highly developed. A walk there is done in isolation. People don't say hi, they don't even look at you. It's not that they don't know you, it's that they don't care to interact.

Mayor Murdock claims this plan will not displace entire neighbourhoods. How will they survive the development onslaught? If swaths of land are slated for multi-family and multi-storey, it will happen. Most people leave their homes when a development happens next to them because they lose privacy, tree cover, sunlight, and on top of that they have to put up with noise and disruption for years. Increased traffic and parking that spills into side streets creates additional problems and starts to pit neighbour against neighbour.  Developers pester the homeowners who don't want to sell until they finally relent. I'm seeing this in my neighbourhood. Large development projects bring loss of trees and greenery, loss of space as well as loss of neighbourly socialization.

Murdock says this plan makes life better for us, "protecting what (we) value while preparing for the future."  It sure doesn't do that for me and I'm positive I'm not alone on this.

Jan Ellison

Saanich