Three of the biggest problems we have in Vancouver are the plans for oil trains and a terminal being built at the port; coal trains and their pollution coming through the Columbia River Gorge and Vancouver; and allowing building in wetland areas while developers pay little to no fees for traffic, infrastructure, etc. I would like to see all three problems solved soon.
The proposed development of 176 single-family lots in a wetlands area at N.E. 187th Avenue and N.E. 23rd Street in east Vancouver is one of the most outrageous ideas yet that’s been approved by Clark County. With county environmental director Don Benton and the M&M boys at the helm, projects like this one should be the key example of what will be allowed in the coming months. And the fact that builders are now exempt from traffic fees and other fees is just another slap in the face to environmentalists and other concerned citizens.
Let’s keep an eye on this project and others like it and make sure we think of the future of the area rather than a fast buck for oil and coal owners and builders who would build in sensitive areas. It is hard to believe we are still fighting these battles as history has proved time and again that building in or near wetlands only causes problems for the future and ruins existing land.
Jack Price
Vancouver
