Special interest groups?
city.richmond.bc.ca
RE:
SNIP:
Mr. Albert Wei, 5900 Kartner Road, Manager of Admissions and Customer Service for Hastings Park Racetrack, spoke in support of his neighbours opposed to the proposal. He said Mr. Hart was not speaking on behalf of Hastings Park when he stated the racetrack had to move. Mr. Wei stated that Hastings Park is in the third year of a twenty year agreement with the City of Vancouver. He further stated that the business of horseracing is first and foremost a gaming society. Simulcast racing comprises a large part of the business, and utilizes late night hours 5 days a week. Further, Hong Kong racing takes place 44 weekends a year during the hours of 9:30 pm until 3:30 am PST, with approximately 1500 people in attendance.
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Prior to the question being called, Councillor Barnes said that she failed to see that this would be an agricultural use of the land. She was also not convinced that the proposal would enhance farming in Richmond. The people who spoke, she said, were representatives of those in Richmond who had a wish to see viable farming remain. The proposal would bring further urbanization and traffic to the area. If this proposal had come forward not attached to land in the ALR she would have had a different thought, however, in this circumstance she favoured the recommendation.
Councillor McNulty said he thought the location and economics of this proposal would be good for Richmond, but that the confidence of the community is to not expand gambling. Further, there is a need to continue to support soil based farming in Richmond. Councillor McNulty said he saw limited economic benefit to residents of Richmond, and that many of the business owners referred to do not reside in Richmond.
Councillor Greenhill noted that the start of the ALR in 1972 was a Catch-22 in that the land cannot be split up and must be farmed. While Richmond was in the unique position of receiving a well thought out, intriguing proposal, many detrimental pressures would be incurred, ie. noise, traffic etc.
Councillor Steves, while noting the nostalgic appeal of a racetrack, said he didn’t want to see a dismantling of the farm community where land has been in families for generations.
Councillor Brodie stated that, while the business case was spectacular, he was concerned by the incompleteness of the proposal. The fact this facility is so critical to the racing industry should not be factored into Richmond’s point of view. The land in question is there because of the ALR. This proposal would be an expansion of gaming in Richmond which would be contrary to the commitments Council members have made. The number one policy of the OCP is to preserve farmland - therefore there is no other choice but to support the staff recommendation.
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It didn't seem to me like they caved in to special interest groups, it looks to me the reason is the concern about farm land (soil), the noise, increase in traffic and the expanded gaming aspect. |
