Developers Dialogue: Glenn Westendorp connects the dots in defining a path forward for the Comox Valley Regional Team
Convening for Action in the Comox Valley
Held in December 2010, the ‘Developers Dialogue’ initiated a conversation with the Comox Valley development community about collaboration, alignment and consistency in a local government setting. The Green Communities Act and the legislated requirement for greenhouse gas reductions provided context for this event.
Conducted as a townhall sharing session, a key message to the development community was the need to get the principles right from the beginning. This was described as “front-end loading”. Because ‘time is money’, this provides the incentive to do things right at the front-end, from both the local government and development community perspectives.
Glenn Westendorp, Public Works Superintendent with the Town of Comox, provided closing remarks. He is Chair of the 2011 Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series. In his remarks, he reflected on the path forward to achieve a shared vision for the Comox Valley.
A Regional Response to Climate Change
“The 2011 Series theme, A Regional Response to Climate Change, defines the desired outcome. This shows how far we have come as a regional team. We are ready to establish performance targets for integrated land and water management,” stated Glenn Westendorp.
“Having had the recent opportunity to travel to East Africa, I can vouch for the devastation caused by human activity in these countries. Upon our return, my own daughter could not say enough about the lush green environment that we live in and the clean air and water that we take for granted.”
“We have the privilege to live in a desirable environment, so protecting that environment only serves to protect that which makes our home unique and beautiful. Protecting this environment will require significant effort and commitment from all parties….government, developers, builders and NGO’s.”
“This transition is not going to be easy, but regulation, legal challenges and public expectations mean that there is no turning back. The dialogue evident at today’s meeting will help to build trust leading to a coordinated effort of all parties to achieve our goals.”
