Two days before redevelopment plans for Fleetwood’s Eaglequest-Coyote Creek Golf Course go before Surrey city council, several public information signs have been removed by bylaw officers because of complaints.
The signs had been posted by project opponents, and called on residents to sign a petition against the redevelopment.
The proposed project would see a portion of the golf course rezoned to permit the development of a four-storey mixed use building and about 265 townhouse units.
Surrey public safety manager Jas Rehal said five of six signs were removed after the city received a complaint. Three were on city property and two were on private property, he said.
“There are two things here: one is any sign in the City of Surrey has to have a permit permission to be up. Secondly, some of those signs are on the city boulevard and not allowed,” he said.
“Our bylaws officers deal with these things on a complaint basis so from their perspective they were just doing their job.”
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Ken McBain, a member of the Coyote Creek Action Committee which is fighting the redevelopment, said the timing of the signs’ removal is suspicious.
“It is absolutely unbelievable. One of our people phoned us and said, ‘They’re taking down our sign. I told them it’s on private property, but they said it’s against the law,'” he said.
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“This is more like a dictatorship, the way they’re doing this.”
McBain said the signs had been in place for weeks with no trouble.
Opponents of the project say the redevelopment is a case of “too much, too fast,” and that the new residents will overwhelm infrastructure such as schools.
The developer, Anthem Properties, says it plans to build a “respectful development,” and that park space and a smaller golf course will be retained.
-With files from Jon Azpiri and Geoff Hastings
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