Thursday March 20, 2014 (Vol. 39 No. 23)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
S U R R E Y
w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m
Silver scream: White Rock filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero has become internationally known for being on the cutting edge of the horror scene – and she’s moving from short subjects into feature production with a new project. i see page 21
Surrey City Development Corporation responds to ‘mixed reviews’ over Semiahmoo plan
Arts-towers height still up in the air Alex Browne Staff Reporter
The president and CEO of Surrey City Development Corporation says that nothing, not even a specific height, is set in stone about the final form of a proposed twotower residential development for South Surrey – one that could provide a significant arts hub for the community in the form of a 350seat performing arts theatre and a contemporary arts café/gallery. “This is not going to be ramrodded through,” Aubrey Kelly said in
Alex Browne photo
Sarah Atkinson and Aubrey Kelly. an interview with Peace Arch News, while at the same time acknowledging there’s little chance of the contentious project returning without
a tower component (last suggested to be the equivalent of 27 storeys). “We’re probably never going to be able to make 100 per cent of people happy. What we saw after some of the initial unveiling of plans was that there were mixed reviews, which was not unexpected.” The project – a partnership by the city’s own development corporation and the Reifel Cooke Group – is still in a phase of “fact finding and issue finding,” Kelly said, gathering feedback and identifying concerns of stakeholders, including nearby
residents and arts groups, in an attempt to build consensus. He expects the process to continue for several months at least. “There’s no particular timeline,” Kelly said. “I expect it to be the end of summer before we put pencil to paper again, and then engage with the city planning department, go to the advisory design panel and then go on to a public hearing.” The plans are still largely conceptual, he added: “Whether they call for lower, squatter buildings or taller, more slender buildings – all
that’s still in play.” Whatever the final form of the project, Kelly said, a certain density is required to make it work. “We would need a density of four,” he explained. “That’s four times the site area of approximately 80,000 sq. ft. – or 320,000 sq. ft.” The reality, he said, is that without that density, the proposed arts amenity would not be possible. “That’s not a threat,” he added. “It’s just what would be needed to make it financially viable.” i see page 4
Pluck of the Irish Playing in turn a violin, flute and harp, Gerry Bradley (far left) and Sasha Pawliuk – part of the Irish band Small Potatoes – performed at the Surrey Museum’s Celtic Fest last weekend. (Near left) Dawn Williams and Chris Stefanidis perform as Celtic duo Child of Sunset. Boaz Joseph photos
BC Liberals send letter to Port Metro Vancouver urging ‘transparency’
MLAs prod coal port to work with health officers Alex Browne & Jeff Nagel Black Press
Three BC Liberal MLAs are urging Port Metro Vancouver to work with medical health officers in reassessing human health risks from increased coal shipments to feed a proposed new terminal at Fraser Surrey Docks. MLAs Gordon Hogg (Surrey-White Rock),
Marvin Hunt (Surrey-Panorama) and Scott Hamilton (Delta North) signed a Feb. 25 letter urging the port to ensure a new coal-impact review announced last month is transparent to the “growing number of municipalities and citizens who have expressed reasonable unanswered questions.” Port authority CEO Robin Silvester last month ordered the review to plug defi-
ciencies in an earlier environmental health assessment but said further findings on health risks won’t be referred back to medical health officers for comment ahead of a final decision on the new $15-million coal terminal, which would bring more coal trains through White Rock, Surrey and Delta. “I am concerned, that without a transparent process involving the medical health officers,
that many questions and concerns will go unanswered or not be accepted by a majority of the residents,” the MLAs’ letter states. They say every reasonable effort must be made to transparently share scientifically significant information if the Fraser Surrey Docks project is to gain a “social licence” from the public. i see page 4
Independent & Assisted Living Community for Seniors Largest Suites, Best Value on the Peninsula! 15366 17th Avenue White Rock
604-531-1160
LOOK FOR OUR SPRING BULB FLYER IN THIS EDITION OF YOUR PEACE ARCH NEWS
32nd Ave. & 152nd St. 2124 - 128th Street, Ocean Park 12530 - 72nd Ave. 192nd St. at 48th Ave.
www.pottersonline.ca