My Name is David Jones and I represent the Corcan Meadowood residents association.
The CMRA has over 300 members that have generously financed our association
We live in area F, the 2nd largest of the electoral areas. In 2006 its population was also
second largest in the regional district.
In area F the Corcan Meadowood corridor accounts for 27 % of the population
Yet… in the 2010 proposed budget described in my pamphlet, the
property assessment block on page 2 shows Coombs, Hilliers and Errington with no
mention of the largest node …. our Corcan Meadowood area! We are Isolated from area
F by a 30 minute drive so a dollar spent in area F usually means nothing spent in
Corcan Meadowood.
Moving to my home 5 years ago in this area I realized that I had chosen a rural lifestyle
but I also knew that amenities such as parks and recreation services for my family
where available in this area because the RDN budget required that I pay taxes for
Community and Regional parks. Since I have been here, approximately $300,000.00
has come directly from the homes in the Meadowood Corcan area for community and
regional parks. Over the 10 years of parks existence, substantially more has been paid
for associated costs.
I would like you to look at the pictures of our 2 community parks and our 1 regional park.
In the first park you need to climb down a 30 degree slope to reach the park from any
direction. There is no trail and it is surrounded by private property on all sides. This park
only meets the needs of mountain goats in our area.
The 22.08 acre Meadowood Park has never been touched by the RDN and as you can
see by the photo, part of it has been used for gravel storage. We are not sure how this
fits in with the health and recreational needs of our residents
The next pictures are of our Regional Park. Let me quote from the Regional Parks and
Trails Guide “ Acquired by the RDN in 1999, this 44 hectare park runs along both sides
of the little Qualicum River immediately downstream from Little Qualicum falls provincial
Park. The regional park is largely undeveloped though rough unmaintained trails do
exist that will get you down to the river. A developed trail off Meadowood way provides
an easy link between regional and provincial parks.
This Regional park has one attractive sign and a short ungroomed trail with dangerous
cracked trees along the route.
As far as I can tell, we have one sign and a short unpaved trail for the 300 thousand to
1/2 a million dollars of our tax money! We know this money has nothing to do with the
Ravensong Pool or Oceanside Place other projects, we also help fund.
The Corcan Meadowood Residents Association is asking the RDN
to level the playing
field, so to speak. In 2010,we want our taxes to build a community hall, childrensʼ
playground with washrooms , picnic tables and landscaping for the park.
In the RDN 2009 and 2013 Financial plan summaries, page 263 acquisition and
deveolpment we have noticed no monies budgeted for our Regional park. Is it this
boardʼs plan to spend nothing for the next 3 years on regional parks in our area and tax
us anyway?
Emergency preparedness and community planning is another portion of our tax bill. We
have only 1 public entrance and exit road to our area. What exactly do community
planning and Emergency preparedness officials have in mind for evacuating the
population in the event of a forest fire on Corcan Road and lower Meadowood? The Emergency Preparedness Guide, prepared in 1999 by the Emergency
Management Division of the Justice Institute of Vancouver, copied as a handout in the
RDN office, does not cover this. Is there any money in the budget to come up with a
solution for this life threatening situation, given that we do not have highway
access?
Area F has the greatest increase in taxation this year at 14.55 % when the other
electoral areas have increases of 8.2% for area A down to 4.93% for area G and finally
2.86% for area E. Could you explain why area F has a higher increase in taxes with so
little to show for these taxes?
Questions and Requests
1 The Corcan Meadowood Residents Association is asking the RDN to level the playing
field, so to speak. In 2010,we want our taxes to build a community hall childrensʼ
playground with washrooms , picnic tables and landscaping for the park.
2 In the RDN 2009 and 2013 Financial plan summaries, page 263 acquisition and
deveolpment we have noticed no monies budgeted for our Regional parks. Is it this
boardʼs plan to spend nothing for the next 3 years on regional parks in our area and tax
us anyway?
3 What exactly do community planning and Emergency preparedness officials have in
mind for evacuating the population in the event of a forest fire on Corcan Road and
lower Meadowood?
4 Is there any money in the budget to come up with a solution for this most life
threatening situation, given that we do not have highway access?
5 Could you explain why area F has a higher increase in taxes with so little to show for
these taxes?