B.C. businesses lobby Metro Vancouver for growth plan changes
But Metro planning committee chair says it’s too late for them to get involved
The business groups’ attempts to enter the fray arose after the provincial government last week ordered Metro to engage in a 60-day nonbinding dispute process to deal with the City of Coquitlam’s concerns about the regional plan, starting by May 16.
The B.C. Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of B.C. and the Urban Development Institute have now asked Metro municipalities to allow them to participate in the dispute process, saying they weren’t given the chance to be heard during four years of public consultations.
Maureen Enser, executive director of Urban Development Institute Pacific Region, said the plan is too bureaucratic, gives too much power to the regional district and doesn’t focus enough on future economic issues such as providing affordable housing in transit corridors, industrial land around the ports and a cost-benefit analysis.
MetroVanWatch 