Dozens of south Langford residents are eager to put their two cents in about how Ridley Bros. Development Ltd. will rezone forested lands into a new community bordering 804 Latoria Rd. and 950 Worrall Dr.
Public consultation over the controversial piece of Langford land took place on Monday evening.
B次元官网网址淚 want to know how their plans for a potential school right beside my home will impact me,B次元官网网址� says Yevrag Evans, a nearby resident whoB次元官网网址檚 lived in Langford for two years. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 worried about the blasting they will have to do, as our familyB次元官网网址檚 property is near a steep drop-off. TheyB次元官网网址檒l have to level the entire area.B次元官网网址�
Instead of a city-hall B次元官网网址榟ear allB次元官网网址� format, developers let attendees roam Royal Bay SecondaryB次元官网网址檚 aviary to observe an updated version of their original proposal on poster boards, complete with Ridley representatives on hand.
The new proposal offers 266- or 318-home plans instead of the original 450-home development. In addition, the open green space has jumped to 40 per cent, at par with LangfordB次元官网网址檚 Official Community Plan (OCP), that has designated the land B次元官网网址榬ural with heritage values.B次元官网网址�.
In the new proposal, the amount of townhouses drops from an estimated 60 to 100, down to 5 or 80, depending on what alternate plan is chosen. Essentially, this cuts the original plan for affordable housing.
B次元官网网址淚 make too much money to qualify for subsidized housing, but not enough to afford B次元官网网址榓ffordable housingB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� says Jeff Allan, a 20-something Langford resident. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 have to scrape all my nickels and dimes together to afford something that they now took off the table.B次元官网网址�
Many residents pointed out their concerns for local species, including local Garry oak trees, great-horned owls, northern red-legged frogs, and sharp-tailed snakes.
B次元官网网址淭here is no mapped critical habitat from the city in this proposed development, and itB次元官网网址檚 on private land,B次元官网网址� says Jessica Harvey, an environmental planner hired by Ridley Bros.
Notably, the provincial Riparian Areas Regulation will undergo changes expected in November, which may challenge the previous environmental assessment conducted two years ago.
Representatives say that the land surveys were conducted at a time of year when many species were in migration, dormant or in hibernation and further study was recommended.
LangfordB次元官网网址檚 land-use rules call for 43-metre-wide riparian protection on the sides of two creeks, but the development is proposing 10 to 15 metres.
B次元官网网址淚 understand that thereB次元官网网址檚 a demand for housing, but nature needs to have its space too,B次元官网网址� says Cynthia Bull, a resident in the Happy Valley neighbourhood for the past four and a half years. B次元官网网址淲e first bought our place because they promised that the top end of Braeburn Avenue wasnB次元官网网址檛 going to be sold. Now, theyB次元官网网址檙e bulldozing down everything.B次元官网网址�
Residents were given the opportunity to score, on a scale of one to five, how much they support certain aspects of the new proposal. Ridley Bros Development Ltd. is expected to meet with the committee to discuss feedback on the proposal.
EditorB次元官网网址檚 note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the city where some residents lived and the size of the rezoning parcel. We apologize for the error and any confusion this may have caused.
aaron.guillen@goldstreamgazette.com
@iaaronguillen
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