Re: Commercial tenants worry about effects of sludge plant (News, May 10)
Although no final decision has been made on whether or not Viewfield Road will be the location for the proposed sewage sludge plant, serious damage has already been done by this hastily made, poorly thought-out decision.
Introducing fear into any economy can have negative side effects; introducing it into the economy of a small municipality can have very dangerous fallout. Fear breeds more fear and as one business talks about moving out, so does another and another.
On top of that, from the other side, you have developers fearful of doing business in Esquimalt due to the ‘possibility’ of a sludge plant at Viewfield.
I know of two occasions where developers have backed away based on the fear and uncertainty created by this decision on the part of the Capital Regional District.
With the exception of a couple of directors at the CRD, most of them sadly lack the depth and breadth of critical analysis necessary for a project of this magnitude. Time and time again they show that.
Purchasing Viewfield and fomenting fear is a classic example.
We can do better. We need to do better.
Beth Burton-Krahn
Esquimalt