Editor: This may be a surprise, but if you own a home in Brookswood, you are more than likely a millionaire.

The average livable home on a larger quarter-acre Brookswood lot is now over $1.1 million, houses under one million are either tear-downs, or need renovations. In 2014, the average median income for an entire B.C. family was $76,000, or about $6,300 per month.

To afford an older $1 million Brookswood home, a family needs nearly a quarter million dollars as a down payment and $6,000 a month for mortgage payment, insurance, utilities, repairs and property taxes.

In other words, you can buy a Brookswood house, just do not expect to have food in your fridge.

Brookswood is a majestic place unlike any other in B.C. A forest big enough to accommodate people, houses and animals 鈥� a community within a forest, filled with rich history, pioneers, and hardworking people.

Most of the lots in the new Brookswood plan are either quarter-acre or half-acre.

The only other place where there are half-acre estate lots is in High Point 鈥� or 91原创鈥檚 Beverly Hills as it looks to me. When I drive into High Point I see many large homes that look like hotels, but I do not see many trees. In fact, I see more Ferraris and Jaguars than horses.

I do not see any animals drinking from ponds; I see unnecessarily large lawns with sprinkler systems that require endless amounts of water.

Similar to Point Grey, in this new plan we even have our own 鈥楪olden Mile鈥� 鈥� 208 Street.

After 36 avenue, 208 street southbound is a four-lane major arterial road with bike lanes, greenways, wildlife corridors, sidewalks, and bus lanes that will only have estate lots fronting onto it.

Future owners of estate lots will have frontline access to Fernridge Trail as their properties will have direct access at the end of 210 street.

Furthermore, newly named 35-acre Dale Ball Passive Park is at the corner of 36 avenue and fronts 208 Street directly across from these Estate lots; how absurd is it that someone already living on a half-acre lot needs an entire 35-acre park across the street.

This is not to mention the over 100-acre Noel Booth Community Park, 20-acre Bell Park, 40-acre gun club within a stone鈥檚 throw to these estate lots.

Arterial roads, major parks, recreation centres, bus routes and major trails should have all types of housing options and the people who live in them be able to access and enjoy them. These belong to the community and, are not for a select few wealthy people.

Many Brookswood residents have voiced concerns about Brookswood not turning into Willoughby.

I agree with them that Willoughby is too crowded, congested, and poorly planned.

But there should be more affordable options for families, seniors, and tenant-residents in this plan and especially in shared amenity-rich areas like 208 Street.

I understand the sentiment in the community to 鈥楲eave Brookswood Alone,鈥� and not let 鈥済reedy developers鈥� line their pockets; therefore, density should be limited.

But the irony is the only people who can afford half-acre estate lots are probably these so-called 鈥済reedy developers鈥� and 鈥渙utsiders.鈥�

Look at the plan carefully and see what is being created, and whom it is being created for.

A. Jones,

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