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Still much to do: Klaus Kuhn eyeing third term as Area Director

Klaus Kuhn hopes to retain his seat and continue to represent Area I (Youbou Meade/Creek) in the upcoming civic elections.
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Klaus Kuhn

Klaus Kuhn hopes to retain his seat and continue to represent Area I (Youbou Meade/Creek) in the upcoming civic elections.

It would be Kuhn’s third term on council, having served from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2015 to 2018, accomplishing many tasks along the way.

“A recent Facebook comment referred to me as ‘the only fiscally responsible director’ which I really appreciate given my banking and finance background,” he said.

And there’s more on Kuhn’s to-do list.

“That’s essentially why I’m running,” Kuhn said. “There’s so much to be done and I enjoy doing it so I want to be there when things get accomplished.”

Among the big changes in Youbou over the last term was the new Meade Creek Recycling Centre.

“That was a big undertaking and that was badly needed,” Kuhn said. “The new facility is definitely built for the future.”

SEE RELATED: Meade Creek Recycling Centre opens after $5.5M upgrade

Kuhn is also proud of the revitalization work done at Arbutus Park, including new change rooms and washrooms.

“That facility looks a lot better, there’s still some work to be done, like a playground, but the majority of it is complete,” he said.

And then there’s the perennial issue of logging truck dust, Kuhn noted.

“That’s been going on for years and years now and then we’ve been successful in getting it reduced a little bit but then at times the dust and mud comes onto the road again and it’s pretty bad,” he said.

SEE RELATED: TimberWest to pave section of road near Youbou

Timberwest has now paved the logging road out to Cottonwood Creek and then another 2.5 km beyond that.

“So now the road is paved, I think it is, to Pine Point. That’s a really good distance and I think that will be a great mitigater for any further dust problems,” Kuhn said.

Another ongoing issue is the hillside.

“It’s the intention of Timberwest to log that hillside in small pieces…and there’s concern by some of the residents that there might be slides or rockfalls because once the trees are gone the fear is that the ground will become less stable.”

SEE RELATED: Video opposes Youbou mountain logging

Also in the queue is a massive development proposal.

“There are new owners of the Youbou Lands property. They would like to go forward with a plan to develop that property. What they want to do first is to build a resort hotel complex with kind of a recreation area connected to it,” he explained.

It’s a big plan, Kuhn noted. One that he’d like to see progress.

“One of my goals in government is to encourage employment. I’ve always wanted to lay the groundwork for people to come in and do business here. I’ve been successful with the Laketown Ranch and I hope I’ll be successful with the Youbou Lands property as well.”

Plans are also afoot to widen Youbou Road between Bremner Road and the end of the public road — the piece right through the heart of Youbou.

“That’s something I’m looking forward to because walking along Youbou Road is treacherous because there’s no proper sidewalk,” he said.

A revitalization of Mile 77 Park is on tap as well as a review of Youbou’s Official Community Plan.



sarah.simpson@cowichanvalleycitizen.com

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Sarah Simpson

About the Author: Sarah Simpson

I started my time with Black Press Media as an intern, before joining the Citizen in the summer of 2004.
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