Say No to Rezoning Application for 3460 & 3461 Veterans Memorial Parkway
Here is the Latest News
1. Colwood’s Official Community Plan (OCP) has approved a limit of 21 single family residences and a single 30-unit apartment building in BC-ALTA Development’s next phase. We are all concerned about the possible rezoning to 340 apartment units, a 1143% increase in density. Many informative and detailed letters have been sent to the Mayor, Council and planning staff. There is a strong push on Colwood Council for decreasing taxes by building higher and packing in tax paying citizens. So, we need to keep the pressure on by actively engaging with council members and staff.
2. Consider upwards of 6500 new homes going into Royal Bay and Seaside Village, in addition to Olympic View. This will result in much heavier traffic along Latoria and VMP. That means more congestion. Access to Havenwood Park will be a challenge.
3. As we ready to send our Petition Results to City Hall, it's important that we have your full address - as it adds to the validity of the petition. Please take a moment and provide those details, email to preservehavenwood@gmail.com.
4. Two yellow banners have been displayed and yard signs have gone up in neighbourhoods close to the park. Their impact has already been observed by media and people travelling along VMP and Latoria.
5. Through the press release, several articles highlighting our concerns appeared in the Goldstream Gazette, Sooke News and Victoria News, and made Council aware we are not going away any time soon.
6. Our group is now starting to prepare for the Committee of the Whole, a less formal setting of Council, where members of the public will have an opportunity to speak on the rezoning proposal. This is likely to take place in April or May. This is a very critical meeting where community members will be able to present the case for NOT approving the rezoning application.
The developer will be making a presentation on his proposal. Councillors will raise questions and seek a better understanding of the impact of the proposal on the community. You may want to sign up to receive meeting alerts through Colwood’s Meeting Portal on its website https://www.colwood.ca
ALERT! ACT NOW
Ø Go on to the BC-ALTA website www.bcaltadevelopments.ca and SAY NO to the development. You will have to give an address and signature. There is a comment section which enables you to express your opposition to the rezoning proposal. Please let us know so we can keep a track of our collective responses by emailing us at preservehavenwood@gmail.com.
Ø Please share your concerns with family and friends and get them to SAY NO to the rezoning proposal.
Ø Write more letters to the Mayor, Councillors and planning staff to get your concerns on the record. You may now have more issues, ideas and questions now that we are seeing more development all around us here in Colwood.
Latest Update on the Developer
This developer has hired people to go door-to-door to solicit Yes Votes for the rezoning proposal. His people only mention BC-ALTA will build a medical facility with a walk-in clinic and pharmacy, a local coffee/pastry shop, a steakhouse restaurant, a pub and a fast-food drive through. This list of potential venues is meant to appeal to as many people as possible. What they actually build is far from decided. What they do not tell you about is the six apartment towers 6 storeys in height, plus the 600-800 people. The company is not making a “full disclosure” of the overall project.
Now they say by supporting their proposal, less trees will be removed and have less impact than building 21 houses and a single 30-unit apartment building. The developer’s arborist’s report states that the vast majority of trees on his property need to be removed to accommodate the 6 towers and related parking areas.
They also mention making a donation of 58% parkland to Colwood. Not True. For those of you that know the park, this land is not developable because of the steep slopes and sensitive wetlands. There is nothing being given away.
You can fight City Hall if you have the facts on your side and hundreds of people willing to support a good cause.
For more information go to www.preservehavenwood.com or you can contact us at preservehavenwood@gmail.com