On Monday night, August 18, council voted 7-0 to support a staff recommendation to reject plans for a 12-storey mixed-use building at the corner of Quadra and Nicholson streets. Councilors Susan Brice and Judy Brownoff were absent.

In light of this decision—and Andrew Duffy’s Times Colonist story linked below—we are sharing our response on why it matters and how it relates to Aragon Development’s application for the former Trio Gravel Pit at 755 Cordova Bay Road.

Quadra-McKenzie Concerns Heard—Ours Must Be Too

If 110 units in a 12-storey tower were too much, and in the wrong place at Quadra & Nicholson, how can Saanich even entertain 1,160 units in semi-rural Cordova Bay?

 Comparing the Two Projects:

1.  Quadra/Nicholson (110 units):
Council unanimously rejected it as inappropriate for its location — too dense, too tall, too disruptive for the edge of a village centre.

2. Aragon at Cordova Bay (1,160 units):
Ten times the size. A mega-development proposed in a semi-rural, low-density seaside community with limited transit, narrow local roads, and a distinct village character.
 

Why the Cordova Bay proposal is even more inappropriate: 

Council precedent: If Saanich said 110 homes was too much for Quadra, how can 1,160 homes possibly be suitable for Cordova Bay, which is even less urban in character?

Scale mismatch: Quadra proposal was a single tower. Cordova Bay is essentially an entire new town being dropped into a semi-rural setting with 17 multi-rise buildings between 5 and 11 storeys along with a number of 3 storey townhouses being proposed.

Community character: Quadra site was at least adjacent to a designated growth centre; Cordova Bay is not. Its character is defined by single-family homes, green space, and village-scale shops.

Infrastructure gap: Cordova Bay lacks the transit corridors, arterial roads, and service hubs that growth centres like Quadra–McKenzie are designed for.
 

What Council Said About this Proposal: 

 “I appreciate the applicant wanting to do business in Saanich and the architect working really hard to try and develop a good product for the neighborhood, but I don’t think this fits the neighborhood,” said Coun. Colin Plant.

 Council agreed.

 “This just doesn’t fit, it’s not the right time,” said Coun. Mena Westhaver. “We’re in the middle of currently going back in to have another look at the [Quadra-McKenzie plan] and this whole area, and we’re really listening to what our residents are saying. “I look forward to seeing it grow in a very mindful way with increased density that’s very respectful and something we can all enjoy into the future.”

Coun. Karen Harper said the project had potential, but in a different site. “This is the wrong place for a project like this. It needs to be at the focal point of the centre, not on the outskirts and into the residential areas,” she said.

Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock said the resounding rejection of the project was a direct result of the turmoil created by the early drafts of plans for the future of the Quadra-McKenzie neighbourhood.

“We’re about to embark on another phase of consultation [on the neighbourhood plan] and I think there’s still a lot of tension that exists in our community about what the future vision is going to look like for these corridors,” he said. “Tonight’s meeting was a clear indication that 12-storey buildings in this location are going to be out of place. Saanich council’s unanimous rejection of a 110-unit housing project in the north Quadra neighbourhood is a signal to the area that council is listening", according to the mayor.

This Quadra decision proves Council understands what “wrong project, wrong place” looks like. Cordova Bay is an even clearer example: ten times the density, in a location that was never meant to absorb city-scale growth.

It is encouraging to see the Mayor and Council listening to residents. We respectfully ask that they do the same for Cordova Bay: reject Aragon’s oversized plan and send it back to the drawing board for something realistic and appropriate for our community.

 This update will also be sent to the Mayor and Council early next week. More updates to follow soon.

Want to get hold of us? Our Cordova Bay Community and Cordova Bay Petition email is  – cordovabayvoices@gmail.com

Thank you all!

Best Regards,

Dan Horth