Dear Editor,
Good Morning to all Township councillors.
I am writing you as an extremely concerned citizen that has lived in “traditional Brookswood” area for over 40 years – 40 years of paying taxes to help our community and 34 years at our current residence, adjacent to Bell Park.
I am particularly distressed that a “cricket pitch” has been already approved for Bell Park without any consultation from the residents of this well-established community. The construction has already started, and we now have an ugly cement landing strip in the middle of the park. Please stop this project, remove this blemish, and return the park to what it has always been for us citizens that actually live here.
Bell Park is a very well used park by all of its community members. I, like so many parents in this community, have taken our children, our grandchildren, our nephews and nieces to this small, but beautiful park to enjoy the openness and quietness, as well as the wonderful little play area for the kids. People with dogs also enjoy the openness to play with their pets. Kids play soccer, Frisbee, catch as well. There is also a baseball diamond where kids do play. It’s a great little park, which is what we residents enjoy.
To my knowledge there are not too many beautiful parks like this in traditional Brookswood. It is a very unique park. It’s open, clean, attached to the open and wildlife Bell Park field, which is also a haven for wildlife, as well as a sanctuary for the many species of birds that live in the Bell Park Field and outlying community area.
I have also seen that there are plans to expand this first current cricket pitch to regulation size. That would mean it would encroach into the Bell Park Field, which would mean that several large and beautiful trees would have to be cut down.
These trees are home to many birds including several types of raptors who often perch in them looking for food in the Bell Park Field. (it’s their grocery store). Beautiful to see.
And I also see plans for a second pitch to go and replace the entire remaining Bell Park Field. And I also see plans for a possible daycare centre in the southwest corner of Bell Park Field. This would mean that all the wildlife and aviary that are abundant in this area will be eliminated.
This must stop. I look around areas just outside traditional Brookswood, and the deforestation and elimination of open wildlife park that is happening right now is extremely sad. (They just cleared an entire block of trees on 36th Avenue between 204th and 205th Streets).
Now I do not oppose cricket, but anywhere in Traditional Brookswood, is probably not where to put a cricket pitch. I personally do not know anyone around Bell Park that has any interest in playing cricket. So as a community, the current Bell Park and Bell Park Field are already being regularly used as intended, to support the needs of this community.
This established community does not need more noise, more traffic, more parking. Developing Bell Park/Bell Park Field is so wrong. Every resident that lives in this community that I have spoken with is adamantly against this. A lot of people are very upset. Please leave Bell Park and Bell Park Field as is (after the ugly cement landing strip that was built without community involvement is removed in the middle of the park).
Please note that I am also sending a copy of this email to the Langley Advance.
Kirk Desnoyers, Brookswood
