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LETTER: Still waiting for answers about Somass Lands

To the Editor, More than a year has passed since the City of Port Alberni selected developer Matthews West for redevelopment of the Somass Lands.
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Members of AV Transition Towns Society look over maps of the Somass Lands during a workshop on 'Owatchet,' which is the Nuu-chah-nulth name for the same lands.

To the Editor,

More than a year has passed since the City of Port Alberni selected developer Matthews West for redevelopment of the Somass Lands. Since then, residents have been waiting for more light to be shed on an exciting project, a public investment possibly transformative for the city.

Why, for example, has the city not released its letter of intent signed with the developer? Can the city share what it knows about soil contamination and required remediation? When will the public’s vision for these lands be considered?

So far, the city has offered only a general description of what it envisions for the 17.5- hectare site, a mix of residential, commercial, light industrial, parkland and open space. Our group, Alberni Valley Transition Town Society (AVTTS), offers a distinct vision: restore Dry Creek (Owatchet) to its natural course, re-naturalize the land and reclaim salmon habitat of the Somass River estuary destroyed by industrial development in the 1930s.

The society presented this vision in 2022 in response the city’s request for proposals but received no response. One year ago, we hosted a public forum that included broad discussion of the Somass redevelopment before a packed house at Char’s Landing. Following up, our Dry Creek Restoration Group conducted field research and a public workshop to develop its proposal, though key questions remain.

We firmly believe there should be greater transparency to assure the best possible outcome for the whole community. With this in view, AVTTS past president Chris Alemany approached city council at its Dec. 3, 2024, committee of the whole and submitted a list of 24 questions on the Somass project. The full list of questions is posted at www.avtransitiontown.org. The society asked that answers be provided in a timely manner, specifically at a public meeting before Feb. 1.

We were pleased with the positive response from Mayor Sharie Minions. Council agreed to prepare written responses to the questions as answers become available. We look forward to learning more about the Somass Lands redevelopment in months ahead.

Mike Youds,

president,

Alberni Valley Transition Town Society