Maureen Robertson
Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 2C5 | (778) 240-4270 | robertson.maureenellen@telus.net
‘Densification in Urban Centres Near Frequent Transit Development Areas’
Objective: Adding a resident’s perspective to the conversation on development in the region
Highlights
Conference
- Attended ‘Housing Central’, sponsored by BC Non-Profit Housing Association, Canada’s largest affordable housing conference and previously in 2017 and 2018
Report
- Led neighbourhood campaign that was highlighted in ‘Getting to Groundbreaking – Residential Building Approval Processes in Metro Vancouver, Focus on Townhouses’ by SFU Urban Studies Program, Case Study 1: Pitt Meadows Neighbourhood Resistance to Townhouses, Best Practice: Better Public Engagement (page 86)
- “A (former) NIMBY Asks A Few Questions”, Church for Vancouver newsletter, April 7, 2022
Panelist
- Panelist for ‘From NIMBY to Neighbour: Public Consultation and Human Rights’, BC Non-Profit Housing Association, affordable housing conference ‘Housing Central’, 2018
Book
- Read and analyzed ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities’ by Jane Jacobs, 1961, Planetizen’s top urban thinker
Article
- Read and analyzed ‘Understanding and Overcoming the NIMBY Syndrome’, by Michael Dear, 1992, Until recently it was the most important article to read on the subject
City of Pitt Meadows – The Last 11 Years
- Attended majority of City Council meetings including observing 4 different City Councils
- Attended 7 years of Budget meetings
- Attended City public engagement events
- Read City documents, starting with Official Community Plan
- Advisory Design Panel member for 3 years
- Past Chair of the Board of Variance committee
- Participant Citizen’s Committee on Open Government
- Own copies of ‘Local Government Act’ and ‘Community Charter’
Metro Vancouver
‘Services and Solutions for a Livable Region’
Metro 2050 Regional Growth Strategy
- Attended online the Metro 2050 Public Hearing on April 20, 2022
- Attended all 4 informational meetings, including ‘Planning for healthy, complete communities and greenspaces,’ ‘Planning for affordable housing in transit corridors,’ ‘Planning to integrate growth, land use and transportation,’ and Planning for employment growth and transportation’
Metro Vancouver Activities/Events
- Attended ‘Never Flush Wipes’ pilot program launch, September 2015, Pitt Meadows Council meeting
- Attended Metro Vancouver’ Sustainable Breakfasts, starting 2016
- Attended many Metro Vancouver events, including Wood Smoke, Climate 2050 and Wastewater Treatment Projects
- Watched ‘The Sustainable Region’ (29 hours of 27-minute videos)
- Read ‘Planning in a Human Way: Personal Reflections on the Regional Planning Experience in Greater Vancouver’ by Harry Lash
- Read Regional Growth Strategies from 1952 to present
‘Together We Make Our Region Stronger’
Simon Fraser University
SFU Courses
- Attended several urban planning courses, including ‘Planning for Non-Planners: What you need to know about Community Planning,’ ‘Housing Policy Fundamentals,’ ‘Financing Urban Growth: The Use of Development Cost Charges and Community Amenity Contributions,’ and ‘Introduction to Neighbourhood Design’
SFU Lectures & Webinars
- Watched the ‘Vancouver’s View Protection Policy’ lecture in December 2023
- Attended and found informative ‘Home or Commodity? Transformation of Housing and its Discontents’ lecture, April 2019
- Attended and enjoyed ‘Looking Back, Looking Forward: Reflections on Housing in Metro Vancouver’ lecture with Michael Geller, May 2018
Federal & Provincial
- Read ‘National Housing Strategy’ 2017
- Member, ECOH (Expert Community on Housing), CMHC
- Read ‘Homes for BC: A 30-point Plan for Housing Affordability in BC’
Affordable Housing
- Attended Development Information Meeting and Open House for Cornerstone Landing, an affordable housing building In Maple Ridge, 2022
- Attended ‘A Day for Churches to Explore Affordable Housing’ conference in April 2022
- Attended the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) ‘Housing Central’ 3-day conference in 2023, 2018, and 2017 and the 1-day conference ‘RENT’ (Regional Education, Networking, and Training) in May 2018
Homelessness – Maple Ridge
- Attended the Affordable Housing Summit in Maple Ridge, BC in May 2023, as well as 3 of the 4 Community Dialogues on Homelessness, 1 Maple Ridge City Council meeting in January 2018, a meeting at MR Baptist Church with 2 MLAs and 500 people, most BC Housing Open Houses, and 2 resident ‘Rally for Ridge’ to address the homelessness issues prevailing in Maple Ridge
Housing First
- Watched the ‘Where is Home?’ and ‘No Fixed Address’ videos and came to understand and agree with the need to prioritize seeing people placed in housing
Regional Events
- Attended numerous events throughout the region, including the Pacific Agriculture Show, 2020 and 2022, as Pitt Meadows is 80% in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR); 2 Fraser Health Board Meetings; the ‘Elect Regional Representatives’ Urbanarium City Debates event in May 2022; and 3 different ‘Rethinking the Region’ workshops
Relevant Reading
- Read ‘Under Construction: A History of Co-operative Housing in Canada,’ ‘Radical Campus: Making Simon Fraser University,’ ‘The Art of the Impossible: Dave Barrett and the NDP in Power 1972 – 1975,’ and ‘Union of British Columbia Municipalities: The First Century’
- Read and researched ‘Gaining Community Acceptance: Case Studies in Affordable Housing’’ report from CMHC, ‘Toward More Inclusive Neighbourhoods’ report from the BC Housing Ministry’s NIMBY Task Force, and ‘Community Acceptance of Non-Market Housing’ report from BC Housing
Development in Pitt Meadows
Attended over 50 Development Information Meetings, including discussions of topics such as:
- Affordable Housing Project in Civic Centre
- Development along Frequent Transit Network
- Various neighbourhood developments
- Revitalized local airport, and new firehall and RCMP buildings
- Onni warehouse sites used for fill, Onni warehouses, and Amazon warehouses
- Katzie 1st Nation land being used for fill, and now major industrial complex is being planned
- North Lougheed Study Area
- Intersection of Lougheed Highway and Harris Road
- Golden Ears Bridge
- CP Rail yard expands to Logistics Park
- Community Amenity Contribution land from Onni