Weeks after plans for two highrise towers in downtown Langford were scrapped, another proposal, which could reach the dizzying heights of 22 storeys, has sprung up.
An application has been submitted to the City of Langford to rezone land at 2614-2626 Peatt Rd. and 2622-2629 Sunderland Rd., to allow for the development of two mixed-use buildings.
The residential towers are proposed to be 13 and 22 storeys in height with approximately 317 units, "atop a four-storey commercial, residential, parking podium."
The new proposal is on land adjacent to the recently cancelled Langford Gateway development, which had proposed to build 22- and 18-storey towers on land at Arncote Avenue, Peatt and Sunderland roads. The land assembly is now up for sale pursuant to a court order.
The Langford Gateway site has been at the centre of ongoing controversy, after some houses were demolished and the B次元官网网址渉azardousB次元官网网址� waste not cleared from sites. Other vacant houses have been left to deteriorate.
Speaking on behalf of the ownership group for the new proposal at Peatt-Sunderland roads, a representative assured the cityB次元官网网址檚 Special Sustainable Development Advisory Committee, history would not be repeated.
All homes are currently rented, with many having longer-term leases, explained the representative. B次元官网网址淭hey will be kept up, and they will be occupied and no demolition required until theyB次元官网网址檙e ready to come forward for a building and development permit,B次元官网网址� she said at the Feb. 24 meeting.
At the meeting, a number of locals shared their opinions on the proposed development, including concerns about its impact on traffic and the increase in density.
"Trying to squeeze towers into our downtown core is going to make an already tight landscape feel virtually claustrophobic," said Tanya Sunshine.
Vern Trew, a Sunderland Road resident whose home already borders a development in progress and protected Indigenous housing at the rear, warned his property would be left "orphaned" by the proposed highrise towers.
Facing the prospect of having an 'orphaned lot' with the building's four-storey parkade built next to his property, Trew said multiple attempts had been made to sell his home to the developers, but to no avail. He suggested the developer could purchase his home as land to be used as parking during construction, with it then used as green space for the community after the development is completed.
B次元官网网址淟angford does not currently have a bylaw forbidding the orphaning of a lot next to a development,B次元官网网址� said Trew, urging the committee to not just consider the impact on his home, but others in the future.
TrewB次元官网网址檚 concerns echoed those of Stan Schinners, whose B次元官网网址榦rphanedB次元官网网址� home on Bray Avenue was the subject of a similar debate in October.
He reminded the committee that while they had been B次元官网网址渟ympatheticB次元官网网址� to his situation last year, they had assured him they would B次元官网网址渓earn from that situation."
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 hoping you will take that into consideration when you consider Mr TrewB次元官网网址檚 situation,B次元官网网址� he said.
Because the committee had not finished discussing the application, and a motion to extend the meeting beyond 11 p.m. failed, committee members agreed to adjourn to the next Special Sustainable Development Advisory meeting on March 10.
