263 replies to this topic

[slow1234]

Concern in North Quadra about development (potentially) triggered by the rescinding of the EDPA...
https://vancouverisl...ystem-1.5167261

Edited by slow1234, 29 October 2020 - 05:04 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Cap Daily newsletter:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Controversial EDPA nearing a return to Saanich

A new version of a controversial Saanich bylaw may begin to come into focus next week. The Environmental Development Permit Area, or EDPA, was originally passed in 2012, but was rescinded five years later amid a heated debate.

The plan was always to replace that bylaw with another way to protect biodiversity on lands in Saanich, according to Mayor Dean Murdock, who originally voted against the decision to repeal.

“At the time I was convinced that it would be very challenging for us to replace,” he said. That has borne out: another five years after the bylaw was rescinded, a new plan is yet to emerge. At Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, a technical advisory committee and a consulting firm, Diamond Head, will report to council on the state of biodiversity in Saanich and what a biodiversity strategy might look like. The next step will be the development of a biodiversity strategy; that means an actual new bylaw is a long way away.

The original EDPA put restrictions on what landowners could do in some sensitive places. But it gave some residents the impression that “their property was in effect locked down,” Murdock said, and was based on mapping that was out of date. “Without a doubt it was flawed, the way it was implemented.”

But Murdock believes the public narrative was misguided by “incorrect information” about what the bylaw really did. A registered professional biologist who wrote reports on behalf of landowners later had his professional designation revoked by the College of Applied Biologists, based on a conflict of interest and lack of due diligence in his reports.

The COP15 biodiversity conference wrapped up in Montreal last month with an agreement to stem the loss of biodiversity, in part, by taking steps toward “sustainable development.”

In the new bylaw. Murdock wants to see a balance in Saanich between development of housing, roads, and other land-altering uses and the protection of sensitive ecosystems, ultimately in order to give residents a buffer against increasingly frequent climate impacts like flooding and extreme heat.

“I think that there is an urgency around how we act,” he said.

Any new plan, however, is still just a glimmer in council’s eye.

 

By Jimmy Thomson

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 12 January 2023 - 06:24 AM.

[Nparker]

Glad Murdock managed to work in the climate "crisis" mantra. I am sure Saanich residents will sleep better at night knowing that camas blooms are keeping them safe from the impending apocalypse.

[Victoria Watcher]

The example above is pretty much exactly what is going on, on the south side of Christmas Hill currently. The chunk out of the mapping on the west side of the image below, around 4007 and 4011 Rainbow, was a removal from the Atlas June 2016. The owners claim that they don't intend to develop. Yet the developer who is currently building the Lyra project nextdoor at 4027 Rainbow, owns 804-820 McKenzie. He built the townhouses and homes further up Rainbow about 8 years ago. 4007 and 4011 Rainbow are the only two properties left on his monopoly board. They are about 1.6 acres in total area. 

 

The scenario from Saanich that would've been approved under the EDPA, was a six lot subdivision between 4007 and 4011. For some reason the homeowners thought that would make it difficult for them to sell. Could they get twelve dwellings there instead of 6? Is there any point in making the whole situation more complicated when the development occurs? You'd think the developer and Saanich could've found a way to do things at least considering the environment. There are a bunch of oak trees in there that will come down to make way for roofs.

 

 

 

 

 

Despite concerns about the amount of development planned for the Swan Lake area, Saanich council has moved forward a 26-unit townhouse project that will replace a single-family home.

 

Council on Monday night unanimously approved a rezoning and development permit application from Abstract Developments for the project at 4011 Rainbow Rd.

 

Mayor Dean Murdock noted the area is earmarked in the official community plan as a spot for more homes within walking distance of schools, parks, shopping, public transit, and active transportation infrastructure.

 

“And what this application represents is 26 family-suitable homes. We think this is an ideal location to create homes for them to live in.”

 

Approval of the 26-unit project comes less than a year after council green-lit a seven-storey mixed-use building with 106 residential units in the 800-block of McKenzie Avenue, right around the corner.

 

 

https://www.timescol...an-lake-8747170

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 May 2024 - 04:52 AM.