ChilliwackA number of residents on Young road near Fairfield Island are upset at the City of Chilliwack’s plans to raise the road to comply with provincial flood protection standards.

They believe doing so will affect sightlines and their driveways, lowering property values, but Councilor Sam Waddington says safety trumps a lot of those concerns.

“We have a responsibility first and foremost to protect this entire community from flooding. And our flood modelling shows that if we do not increase the elevation of Young road, we’re compromising in the event of a high water event. We could potentially be flooding out sections of our community.”

Some of the residents say they are planning a lawsuit against the City, but Waddington says he doesn’t think there is much legal basis for a suit.

However Waddington says if ordered to, the City would pay compensation for property values.