My Surrey Mafia Story

The City of Surrey and their development departments lack of common sense and abuse of power.

This is the story of my experience of a system that I found that lacked common sense and respect for my situation and concerns.

My Family Home 1958-2022

My family has lived in Fleetwood for almost 70 years and were happy to call Surrey home. My Mother and Father came to Fleetwood in 1955 and lived in a small shack on what then was called Holmes Road, until the now family house was finished in 1958. I was born that same year, my sister in 1960 and brother in 1964. It was a good place to grow up in with good neighbors and lots of space to play in on the 5 acres we had. In 1990 Mom and Dad decided to sell the back 4 acres and keep the remaining acre. Eventually my sister moved to New Zealand and my brother to Langley. I remained in Surrey and have a business that was started by my father over 50 years ago and which I am continuing with and living in the family home.

In 2019 after long thought we decided that it was time to downsize. We wanted to sell half of our property and remain in the family home on the other half. Thinking that it would be a reasonably straightforward an simple thing to do, we soon found out that it would be a bureaucratic nightmare.

Dealing with the Development Department of the City of Surrey

In 2022 after 3 years, I found out what the cost of doing what we wanted to do was. For approval of our proposal, we had to “dedicate ” 1.9 meters of frontage of the parent lot and had to upgrade city infrastructure by putting in a sidewalk, curb and bike lane, drainage, telephone and cable service and a streetlight at my expense. I felt like I was being extorted and this was the ransom I had to pay if I wanted city approval. I did not understand why I had to do this since my parent lot was not being developed at this time. It made no sense to me especially with open ditches on either side.

Surrey making me Destroy my lot and upgrade City Infrastructure

Surrey’s lack of common sense and total disregard and respect for my concerns making me pay to upgrade city infrastructure when my lot is not being developed and in the future all this work that is done now will be destroyed and redone when it is developed and serviced at my expense again. This is totally unacceptable to me. I tried to get a plan of what Surrey had planned for 164 Street but all I got was the runaround and that there was no real plan and things were always changing. There is no rhyme or reason or consistency in Surrey’s planning which has become every apparent throughout Surrey. They download the cost of city infrastructure which is their responsibility to the landowner which is not right. The BC Land Title Act gives the city all the power with no recourse for the land owner to question and challenge their abuse of power. There are no property rights in Canada

The Cost of Upgrading – $120,000 plus 1.9 meters of frontage for free

All the work that is done now will be torn up and destroyed when the lot is developed. New services for sewer, water, telecommunications, hydro, gas, sidewalk, driveways and again tearing up the road, curb and bike lane plus DCC fees and whatever else Surrey wants to get at owner’s expense. Surrey doesn’t care what a waste of time and money it is because it’s not their money, it’s the landowner/taxpayers’ money that pays for it.

Four 60 year old trees were cut & ditch filled

Moving water connection 1.9 meters — Four 60 year old trees were cut & ditch filled

Having to Moving Sewer Pipe an Extra $11,500

Another of Surrey’s denial of Responsibility and Liability

The sewer line connection had to be moved 1.9 meters back onto my property. It was discovered that there was a slight dip in the sewer pipe that was under the road that was slightly over tolerance. There had been no problem with the line for over 30 years, but I was forced to fix that line or move to another connection down my property. What should be the responsibility of Surrey, the pipe between the main sewer line which is on city property and my connection which I had to move and “dedicate”1.9 meters to them, I had to pay an extra $11,500 to fix when I should not have had to do.

A Sidewalk that goes Nowhere

Now there is a sidewalk in front of my property that essentially goes nowhere. It’s located in the middle of the block with open ditches on either end on the 1.9 meters of frontage that they stole from me, or in their mind I freely “dedicated”. If you go up and down 164 Street, there is no rhyme or reason to the sidewalks. Some are close to the road and others are farther away. And then there is a sidewalk in the middle of open ditches. Makes perfect sense

A Bike Lane That Goes Nowhere

There is now a bike lane in front of my property in the middle of the block with an open ditch on either side. In 2018 when Surrey did the upgrade on 164 Street, putting in curbs, sidewalks, storm drains, bike lanes, lighting, and new pavement between 84 Ave and 88 Ave they left the east of the block between 85 Ave and 86A Ave with open ditches. It made no sense to do that major upgrade and leave that section like that. Another example of a well planned project or lack of it by Surrey.

This is the view of my property on 164 Street looking South. A sidewalk and bike lane that goes the length of the street on the west side and open ditches with a sidewalk and bike lane in the middle of 85 Ave and 86A Ave.

Crime Scene