Not in My Front Yard

When we bought our townhouse, it looked over a peaceful grassy field with a heritage home surrounded by big trees on one side. Beyond it we got a glimpse of the lake and a view of the distant orchards. A year later, we have a view of a massive construction site that will soon be transformed into the huge apartment complex known as Summerland Seniors Village. It's noisy and ugly, and the plans for the completed building don't look much better. On a purely selfish level, it's disappointing.

So, why didn't I try to organize some opposition to the development? Because I think it's smart growth. It's high-density housing within walking distance to shops and downtown, which is what most people in town seem to support. The style of building should make units more affordable than most housing, the infrastructure and services are already in place, and housing for seniors has been in short supply. It's been a good reality check, forcing me to realize that there are more important issues facing the future of the town than the quality of my view.

Matt MacNeil gave a presentation a couple of years ago at this conference: Smart Growth in the Okanagan: A Valley-Wide Dialogue for Action (PDF). The topic was the phenomenon of NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard), which is often invoked to dismiss the concerns of anyone opposed to development, especially infill development and multi-family housing in low-density neighbourhoods. I'm including it here as a reminder of the types of criticisms we will receive for opposing aggressive and unsustainable development in Summerland. NIMBY:

• Reflects residents’ desire to prevent certain land uses near homes or communities.
• Remains an ongoing barrier to affordable housing, mixed residential development, infill, secondary suites, etc.
• Common concerns include: declining property values; reduced parking; increased traffic, crime (safety); deteriorating quality of life; and loss of local control.
• May also mask discrimination against people regarded as “different” and with whom day-to-day contact is seen as undesirable.
• Definition: 'NIMBY is any collective action taken against proposed change -– both physical and social –- to the local environment...NIMBY protest is based on the belief that change will have a negative effect on the character, socio-economic status, or quality of life in a neighbourhood.'"