Development Concerns Troublesome: One Man's Opinion

By Ben Meisner

    
 When you constantly hear the same complaints you have to wonder, if there is smoke,  there must be a fire.

Rarely does Opinion 250 go a day without someone asking what we are doing about the problems of development in this city.

Right now, development costs seem to be the high note. The developers arguing that the City fathers are adding more costs to their developments before they begin.

They have a point.  If the developer puts in all the services, paves the roads, builds the sidewalks, then how can they be responsible for future costs?

The taxpayers who buy the homes will pay for garbage, water sewer, schools and even snow removal through their taxes. The city is always crying that it wants more population, then how come it is the developer that is getting the short end of the stick?

Commercial development is worse. 

With the hoops that the developers must go through in order to buy the land, put up a building and then find they have to bow to the City for the kind of landscaping or design. Here again those business are being called upon to bow to the wishes of city hall and the city is arguing it will cost money in the future for them to bring jobs to the city.

Somehow when you hear the arguments, you can’t help but agree with those either developing subdivisions or investing in a new business and building.

Lodge a complaint you say, well,  that's risky.

Most developers will tell you they worry that if they complain, their development will suddenly sink to the bottom of the heap and when you have already invested a half million bucks you tend to swallow hard and give in to what the City wants.

Their commments are made to other investors and other investors will gladly tell you that although Prince George considers itself "business friendly"  it is one of the hardest places in which to do business. 

Why?

I'm Meisner, and that is one man's opinion.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us