A look at New West election platforms

Both the New Westminster Progressives (NWP) and Community First New West (CFNW) have released their platforms ahead of this October’s election. We’re taking a look at the topics they’ve covered.

For a full list of candidates and their respective slates, take a look at this piece. 

There are some independents in this race: Chuck Puchmayr, who is currently on council and a former NDP MLA, is running for mayor. Daniel Ampong, a local business owner, is running for council.

We will be focusing on the platforms outlined by mayoral and council candidates.

Platforms

The NWP’s platform, Believe in a Better New West: An Action Plan, includes 12 points. They are:

• Reducing crime and improving public safety

• Strengthening neighbourhoods and community engagement

• Promoting artists and cultural activities to local residents and beyond

• Fostering a vibrant local and regional economy

• Fostering New Westminster as a fun city to live, work and play

• Making New Westminster a recognized pooch-friendly city

• Reducing the impacts of traffic congestion on our city streets

• Increase housing affordability and choices while helping the unhoused

• Protecting our environment by nurturing a greener and more livable city

• Supporting a higher level of transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility

• Reducing our infrastructure deficit and supporting an active and sports-friendly city

• Our commitment to Queensborough

The Community First platform includes three key words, with elaborations:

• Activate the community: activating the arts, commercial streets, public space, partnerships

• Connect the community: connecting Queensborough, city hall, the riverfront, transportation, seniors, and connecting with safety

• Nurture the community: this includes nurturing housing, the environment, children and youth, and health equity

Chuck Puchmayr’s platform includes the following points:

• Leadership, experience and change

• Safe streets

• Small businesses

• Homelessness

• Community committee involvement

• Housing affordability

• Inflation

• Value in history and heritage

• Arts and culture

• Child care

• Youth

• Climate action

• Experience

While New West Anchor is focusing on five themes in this piece, we’ve since spoken with each mayoral candidate, some of whom have touched on other topics outside of these categories. Look for that coverage in our Thursday, Oct. 6 newsletter.

Platform topics

Climate change

All three confirm in their platforms that climate change is a major concern.

CFNW: In the “nurture the environment” section, CFNW says it wants hard targets for emissions reduction, while planting more trees in parks and boulevards, enhancing green spaces, and supporting the ecological network approach to natural spaces. It would also like to update emergency planning, citing last year’s heat dome; this work is currently being done by city staff. It would also like to see a new approach to recycling.

Puchmayr: Puchmayr wants money generated from the selling of the city’s low carbon credits used to help retrofit older multi-family buildings so they have electric charging abilities and climate control when there are extreme heat events.

NWP: The slate wants to develop and implement an integrated green infrastructure strategy to support climate change adaptation, along with a minimum standard of green and park space. It also wants to create “pocket park” spaces in densely populated areas. The group wants New West Fire involved in responses to events like the heat dome, and is promising to encourage private landowners to offer their space for the growth of edible fruit trees and vegetables.

Housing

NWP: Some ideas include fast-tracking construction of at least 1,500 non-market or lower-end-of-market family-friendly rentals by 2028, encouraging more secondary suites and “gentle densification,” and switching from a “housing first” model to a “not just housing” model that would provide wrap-around services for those who are unhoused. The NWP also wants to work on creating more “missing middle” housing.

Puchmayr: Puchmayr wants to work with all levels of government to come up with more affordable housing for those in need. He also wants to draw value in zoning in creating below-market housing for families, seniors, and others who want to live and work in the city. Semi-related, in his experience section, he mentions working to resolve the delays in planning and permitting so that anything needing approval isn’t “reasonably delayed.”

CFNW: The slate’s housing ideas include protecting the city’s existing rental supply, increasing the number of homes everyone can afford in new multi-family developments—particularly in transit-focused areas. CFNW also mentioned developing a community land trust model, and adjusting the permitting processes to accelerate the construction of “missing middle housing.”

• Editor’s note: while all three are keen to fix red tape at City Hall, particularly in the permitting process, chief administrative officer Lisa Spitale previously told New West Anchor it is dealing with a staffing shortage, as are many BC municipalities. With resources stretched thin, the city has had to readjust work plans, prioritizing emergency responses or anything immediately operational.

• Based on the platforms posted to each respective page, no one has written about how it would support the operations at City Hall to make permits available quicker.

Economic development

Puchmayr: Puchmayr has a section on small business, in which he says “we need to provide safe and clean business corridors to help businesses flourish.”

CFNW: The group wants to implement a new retail strategy to “address the needs of small businesses in the 21st century.” It mentions supporting Columbia Street businesses and residents by looking at vacant and underutilized building sites. 12th Street is also on the list, particularly for small business retention, and it would like to explore the impacts of ground-level retail space as amenity contributions to help small, locally-owned business startups.

NWP: The slate would like to offer one-hour free parking in main commercial districts, and two hours of free parking for no-carbon-emission vehicles—the group says this would be offered as a pilot project. It also plans to work on a Re-imagine Columbia Street initiative to attract “a more diverse group of retail merchants that will better animate the streetscape and revitalize the local economy.” Timely, cost-effective, and streamlined business permits are also mentioned.

• Editor’s note: Some Columbia Street businesses have talked about feeling unsafe, with some examples shared during the Sept. 20 New West Chamber of Commerce debate: one business owner sharing her experiences of being chased by an unknown man.

• In some cases, the topic of safety has been separated out—the NWP has this in another category in its platforms, while CFNW talks about safety in its “connect the community” category.

Transportation

NWP: The group wants to make pedestrians “the number one priority when it comes to new transportation infrastructure investments,” and hopes to coordinate with the New West Police Department to increase the enforcement of traffic violations. It also supports “new vehicular transportation infrastructure to decrease overall traffic congestion,” also promising to support residents and business groups interested in establishing car-free days in their neighbourhoods or business districts. NWP also talks about implementing measures like speed bumps in areas that need traffic calming.

CFNW: The “connect transportation” section talks about taking a vision-zero approach, while also investing in a core mobility network for pedestrians and cyclists. It’s looking to create better transit shelters and stops, and wants to see more transit priority lanes to help with regional congestion. CFNW also wants to adopt a universal accessibility standard for the transportation network, which would include accessible parking and wayfinding strategies.

Puchmayr: As of publishing, Puchmayr doesn’t have a section specific to transportation in his platform.

Arts in New Westminster

NWP: The group promises to continue its support for a multi-year arts and culture funding strategy while implementing effective, meaningful, and ongoing dialogue with the local community. It would like to work on reducing or eliminating any duplicated arts programs, develop affordable live-work housing for artists, and increase public signage for local artisans and their studios. It’s also looking to develop a new NW Art Market to showcase local artists.

CFNW: In the “activate the arts” section, CFNW says it will develop a community-based arts hub at Massey Theatre, use public spaces for performances and interactive arts, create a renewed vision for the Anvil Centre, and create partnerships with a group called PAL Canada to make sure seniors have access to performance opportunities. It’s also promising to install another public art piece at Pier Park.

Puchmayr: Puchmayr says he would like to provide new spaces for performing, along with spaces to create art in the city.