Re: “All local municipalities need to help the vulnerable,” letter, Dec. 18.

This is such a poor idea, lacking in ­understanding how the street people/homeless problem got so bad.

Victoria rolled out the welcome mat, ignored the obvious criminal drug wave and petty crimes, while encouraging all their antisocial behaviours.

It’s that old saying: If you build it, they will come. And they sure did.

Sorry, but the outlying ­municipalities don’t want to share a problem that the City of Victoria largely created and encouraged.

Dan Andrews

Colwood

The objections that we have as our block of Oaklands to the soon-to-be built ­“missing middle” project have nothing to do with the concept of infill but more the size and lack of warning.

We who have lived on this road surely have a better sense of what would fit in as opposed to a developer ticking the right boxes with a permit.

I don’t know who came up with the term “gentle density” for a ­three-storey sixplex, but that is a misnomer because that implies something done so ­innocuously that it’ll be barely noticed.

At least it’s not like Edmonton with an eightplex on one lot. And yes, three storeys are not tall compared to a tower block, but on a street of mostly single-level bungalows, it’ll make a massive difference to these adjacent houses.

A few years ago, a new house was built next door to us, which was two storeys high, plus a tall roofline. It took away almost all the sunlight except in the front corner. Once the builder realized how much sun it took away, all he said was “whoops” and carried on, no accommodation or even an apology.

The other point that is so irksome is that, barring the three councillors who listen to concerns about the city, there is a lack of response from the ­majority council, especially the one who was assigned as the Oaklands neighbourhood liaison.

What is the point of having this ­responsibility and title when it’s an empty phrase? No engagement whatsoever.

It would put anyone’s back up to have something imposed without choice, so if we’re NIMBYs, we’re OK with that label.

Tamara Batory

Victoria

I have not been a fan of the B.C. NDP since the Dave Barrett government of 1972-75. So progressive in so many areas of governance.........

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