A long-established fencing and concrete business is relocating out of Langford after years of friction with the City and complaints from neighbours.

Tower Fencing Products is selling its five land parcels in the 1000-block of Goldstream Avenue, and moving its company headquarters, chain-link fence and concrete plant operations, said owner Denis Madsen. The total asking price for the properties is about $16 million.

Madsen wouldnB次元官网网址檛 say where his company is relocating, although it has offices in Nanaimo and Courtenay. As of now, the fencing and ready-mix concrete operations remain on the property, while pre-cast manufacturing B次元官网网址� concrete fencing, slabs and stones B次元官网网址� have been moved out of the city. Further, about 10 of 20 concrete trucks normally seen rumbling along Goldstream Avenue have relocated to a property in Shawnigan, he said.

B次元官网网址淚 have an interested buyer and IB次元官网网址檓 moving the company. If the stars align, by this fall IB次元官网网址檒l be out,B次元官网网址� said Madsen, who started Tower as a fence company in 1976. B次元官网网址淚t would speed up if I sold (the land). But itB次元官网网址檚 not a fire sale.B次元官网网址�

Madsen said he is tired of butting heads with Langford over an ongoing dispute linked to the cement manufacturing operations, and the failure to find an industrial site outside of what has become a residential area.

When the land sells and operations cease, Langford will lose a $20-million business and 150 high-paying jobs, Madsen said, jobs the municipality could have retained.

B次元官网网址淗as Langford helped us find anything? Absolutely not. Would I like to stay in Langford? Absolutely,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲ith no help from them, I am selling.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the biggest reasons IB次元官网网址檓 moving is I donB次元官网网址檛 want to cause people aggravation,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want the aggravation to continue.B次元官网网址�

TowerB次元官网网址檚 property was zoned for concrete operations in 1983 by the Capital Regional District, before Langford incorporated and long before the area was a residential neighbourhood. Madsen said he bought the land in 1989 and has grown the business substantially in the past 20 years.

In 2007, the expansion of concrete manufacturing B次元官网网址� which ramped up the volume of cement trucks and concrete dust B次元官网网址� drew the ire of neighbours and the City. In early 2008, Langford stripped concrete manufacturing from the zoning as a permitted use.

Later in 2008, Langford filed a court action against Tower Fencing, alleging the use of one of the properties to manufacture concrete and concrete products was unlawful. The City also alleged Tower failed to get permits to install a tall concrete batch plant. At the same time, Langford council said it would help the company find a more suitable location within the city.

B次元官网网址淗aving 15 to 16 loads of concrete going offsite every day is significant and certainly contrary to what the bylaw allows,B次元官网网址� said senior Langford bylaw enforcement officer Lorne Fletcher. B次元官网网址淗ere we have a business that through its own success has moved beyond what is allowable in the zoning bylaws.B次元官网网址�

Fletcher noted that the court action has moved slowly and Tower changed lawyers several times in 2010. The case remains in the discovery phase and has no court dates set.

Over the years LangfordB次元官网网址檚 bylaw office has fielded a steady stream of complaints about noise and dust from the concrete operation, Fletcher said. B次元官网网址淲e try to be fair to the complainants and the business,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he complaints as of late have dropped off, but I donB次元官网网址檛 contribute that to complacency of residents. I attribute that to sheer frustration.B次元官网网址�

Madsen flatly denies he is contravening zoning bylaws B次元官网网址� the property was zoned to manufacture concrete, he said, and the City canB次元官网网址檛 put an arbitrary cap on operations.

B次元官网网址淚f itB次元官网网址檚 got concrete zoning it's got concrete zoning,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he zoning doesnB次元官网网址檛 limit the size we can grow.

B次元官网网址淗ave we outgrown the site? Absolutely. We could go three times as big. ItB次元官网网址檚 inspired me to move so we can get bigger.B次元官网网址�

Although Langford promised to work with Tower to help the business relocate, MadsenB次元官网网址檚 relationship with mayor and council has remained dismal. He vented frustration during the 2008 municipal election by endorsing the opposition slate of candidates. Both sides have suggested the other is failing to act in good faith, and these days much of the communication is between lawyers.

Langford chief administrator Jim Bowden said in past years, planning staff had found a few alternate properties for Madsen, which "obviously were not satisfactory to Tower."

B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 proactively find a spot and rezone it to fit his use,B次元官网网址� Bowden said. B次元官网网址淭he planning department said here is land with zoning appropriate to that type of use, nothing more than that.B次元官网网址�

editor@goldstreamgazette.com