Suburban candidates pledge to take new city council to task on overcrowding, poor development

Residents and potential city councilors say that poor planning, traffic safety and affordable housing are priority issues in London's suburbs as next week's election draws near. 

Over the last five years London grew at the fastest rate in Ontario and the fourth fastest in the country. Analysts have said that historically, London's officials have been unaccustomed to accommodating this kind of double-digit growth. Rapid housing development in all four corners now speaks to apparent growing pains. 

"I think maybe a little more planning should have been thought of with the school," said Hugh Wilson," a resident in Ward 14's southeast Summerside neighbourhood who lives near Summerside Elementary. The school opened in September with 12 portables on site due to overcapacity. The Thames Valley District School Board has already applied to the province to expand it.     

"I'm hearing that there's a lack of parking for teachers and faculty and there seems to be an oversight as far as parents picking up their kids and things like that. I know from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. this whole boulevard is completely blocked with parents waiting for their kids," said Wilson. 

Others CBC News spoke with said the daily logjam outside of Summerside Elementary intensifies traffic issues like speeding and careless driving. They said planners should have better anticipated the needs of families steadily moving into the area's newly built homes. 

A similar problem persists on the northeast side of the city near Huron Street and Highbury Ave, where Prabh Gill is running for city councilor in Ward 3. He blames developers for building projects without gaining proper insight into the community. 

"They're just doing their thing. Developers don't even care about what they're building. They're just building mass projects," he said, referring to what he described as poorly designed sidewalks on Edgevalley Road. 

"It seems like the developers are actually acting like leaders, and city councilors feel they're just servants of the developers," he added. 

Gill is also calling for more public transit in the area, as well as more traffic enforcement for speeding and running red lights. 

Ward 14 candidate Sarah Lehman said the same is needed in her area, particularly near schools. 

"Multiple residents talked to me about how they were afraid that Dearness Drive was becoming the new Wellington Road, and they've got people speeding upwards of 80 to 100 kilometres per hour and there's a crosswalk there for an elementary school nearby," said Lehman. "A lot of people are really afraid for the safety of their children and are wondering what city council is going to be able to do about that." 

Ward 14 councilor candidate Danalynn Williams said she's been hearing concerns about affordability for both owning and renting. 

"Rates are skyrocketing," said Williams. "People can't afford things." 

Williams said that she'd do what she could on a municipal level to help lower costs for residents, and is in support of inclusionary zoning in the ward, while advocating for more schools and community centres to accommodate families from all walks of life.