27 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Word on the street is the $4 million price tag for Panama Flats was hyper inflated and Saanich should not have spent that amount of money to acquire the land. There are rumblings that this issue will be pushed to the forefront come election time to hear from each incumbent candidate what information was made available to them to ensure that the purchase of the land was in the best interests of tax payers.

[Arnold]

Can you tell me why Saanich bought that property? Are they going to make it a park?

[Mike K.]

I do not know much about the purchase other than there has been an ongoing issue with flooding due to runoff from neighbouring developments. What I gather is Saanich was complicit in some form in the erosion of farming opportunities on Panama Flats (likely to due to insufficient drainage requirements for nearby properties higher in elevation) thereby turning the land into an undervalued asset for the owner(s?).

 

As to whether or not Panama Flats will become a park, I do not know.

[Coreyburger]

Saanich has done fairly extensive planning for the Panama Flats:

http://www.saanich.c...ml?ref=shortURL

 

TL;DR - yes, some will be a park, some will remain farmed

[phx]

Saanich has done fairly extensive planning for the Panama Flats:

http://www.saanich.c...ml?ref=shortURL

 

TL;DR - yes, some will be a park, some will remain farmed

 

Does a community garden count as a farm?

[spanky123]

Word on the street is the $4 million price tag for Panama Flats was hyper inflated and Saanich should not have spent that amount of money to acquire the land. There are rumblings that this issue will be pushed to the forefront come election time to hear from each incumbent candidate what information was made available to them to ensure that the purchase of the land was in the best interests of tax payers.

The property was purchased 3.5 years ago. Opponents are a little late to the party!

[Mike K.]

It's never too late to bring information to light, regardless of when something was done.

Now just to be clear these are not opponents. They are people with information that they believe sheds light on the possible a mis-allocation of tax payer money and this may be brought to the forefront before the election. That's all I know.

[Arnold]

So some farmers bought the property to farm on it, but farming didn't happen because of water problems?

So Saanich then bought it at a higher price than the farmers paid for it because of the water problem?

Is the water problem Saanich's fault?

I know someone that lives near this area and when they bought their house on Carey Road, they thought that they had bought waterfront property on a lake.

[Mike K.]

Panama Flats, as I understand it, naturally flooded in the late fall every year. But because of insufficient care and attention given to developments around the property drainage from those lands onto Panama Flats caused it to flood much earlier thereby devastating crops.

It's the same story at the Durrell Creek area not far from Panama Flats. Farmers there are facing the same problem with excess drainage from developed properties all around them collecting on their land much earlier than it did in previous years.

[G-Man]

Sounds like someone drumming stuff up for an election run in the fall. Timing is all out of whack otherwise.

[Mike K.]

I think there are many people upset with the political status quo in Saanich. Leonard isn't necessarily a well liked mayor from what I gather, he just hasn't been challenged in a very long time and his last challenger didn't put up much of a fight.

[phx]

So some farmers bought the property to farm on it, but farming didn't happen because of water problems?

So Saanich then bought it at a higher price than the farmers paid for it because of the water problem?

Is the water problem Saanich's fault?

I know someone that lives near this area and when they bought their house on Carey Road, they thought that they had bought waterfront property on a lake.

The owners were preparing the land for farming.  The neighbours didn't want to be next to a farm, so the municipality stepped in and bought the land. 

 

Leonard claims it was done to "save" the farmland and ensure food security.

[Mike K.]

My understanding is Panama Flats was a high producing farm well before most of us were even born.

[Sparky]

How much did Saanich pay for it? Was it really because the neighbours didn't like the farm idea?

[Mike K.]

$4 million.

[Sparky]

What did the farmers pay?

[Mike K.]

That I don't know, but the allegation is Saanich paid 2/3's too much for that land.

 

This is just the allegation I heard, not something I'm putting out there as a personal opinion or a definitive value.

[spanky123]

That I don't know, but the allegation is Saanich paid 2/3's too much for that land.

 

This is just the allegation I heard, not something I'm putting out there as a personal opinion or a definitive value.

 

Value on land of course is very subjective ,especially land that has a restricted use.

 

I agree with your earlier comment that Frank Leonard hasn't had a serious challenge for Mayor in years and some of his recent comments / decisions have left me wondering whether he has forgotten that he was elected. I don't see any serious contenders on the horizon though and even if the amount paid for Panama Flats was too high I think that it wouldn't stick to Frank anyways.

[Bingo]

Can you tell me why Saanich bought that property? Are they going to make it a park?

 

Or clay tennis courts.

[Victoria Watcher]

Saanich spikes 37-acre ALR expansion at Panama Flats

Council to explore small-scale farming at the wetlands instead

 

https://www.vicnews....t-panama-flats/

 

 

 

saanich should try one of those floating villages like they have in vancouver.  or delta or richmond or whatever.  i can't find it on google now.  but all the homes are run down and attached via piers and boardwalks.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 February 2021 - 08:18 AM.