Housing pitched as a possibility for the future of Carnarvon Park surprised at least one resident who attended the open house this April in Oak Bay.

As part of the park master plan refresh, the district hired a consultant to look for all options to replace crumbling infrastructure in the park.

Residents were presented a handful of scenarios during an open house. Options one through three share a variety of field house options from a single-storey building with a concession stand, universal washroom with private stalls, two team change rooms, electrical/mechanical room and storage to a two-storey building with those amenities plus a community room, small office, covered patio and childcare. The building in Windsor Park is cited as an example. Childcare was previously provided on site at Carnarvon in the now-closed building to be replaced.

A fourth option throws a second building in the mix, one that includes rental housing. The concept includes a field house of some configuration, and a second three-storey building on Henderson Road, roughly where the pickleball courts currently sit.

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The large second building with housing, sitting at the relative height of a four-storey building surprised neighbour Barbara Preston.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a biggie, 24 units of rental housing just like that,B次元官网网址� Preston said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a huge parking issue on Allenby already B次元官网网址� now weB次元官网网址檙e taking building 24 more housing units right on the corner.B次元官网网址�

She worried it connects to the infill housing pressures on Oak Bay.

B次元官网网址淚 thought B次元官网网址榓haB次元官网网址� I put the two together and thatB次元官网网址檚 where the new option came from for Carnarvon Park,B次元官网网址� Preston said.

ItB次元官网网址檚 not an illogical leap. Oak Bay is among the many municipalities in B.C. subject to the provinceB次元官网网址檚 Housing Supply Act, tasked with delivering 664 units in the next five years. Housing was something council asked be explored in the process.

B次元官网网址淭hey put forward an option that gives us something to think about. It meets the requirements weB次元官网网址檝e asked for,B次元官网网址� said Mayor Kevin Murdoch. B次元官网网址淭he goal is to get a B次元官网网址榝airly fulsome amount of ideasB次元官网网址� of what people envision for the community park that is heavily used by the regional population.

Murdoch stresses the ideas present are not a B次元官网网址渟elect oneB次元官网网址� scenario, but a way to spur conversation on the possibilities for the park.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e just trying to throw out a number of ideas to solicit feedback,B次元官网网址� Murdoch said. B次元官网网址淚 see zero downside in exploring these kinds of options.B次元官网网址�

Even more important than parking and traffic concerns for Preston is the province is B次元官网网址済oing crazy trying to develop more housingB次元官网网址� laying that need on immigration.

B次元官网网址淎t the end of the day, we have no say over things like immigration policy or things that impact that. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of demand for housing right now. We are looking for ways of supporting the provision of new housing and different housing options,B次元官网网址� Murdoch said.

Correlated information is expected before council this summer.

The presentation, timeline and survey are available online at .

Murdoch encourages everyone to participate in the survey that closes May 10.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 amazing how often people raise ideas or flag something as a concern that hasnB次元官网网址檛 been thought of.B次元官网网址�

The district has housing action program engagement events online April 25 (find the link online at ), and in person May 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Windsor Pavilion and May 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Monterey Recreation Centre.