Eagle Creek, the proposed development next to Victoria General Hospital, is facing tight deadlines to pass zoning and development applications with the Town of View Royal.
Unexpected delays have put View Royal in a position where it needs to hurry along a rezoning application in order to have it done in time for the developer to be able to move forward.
The proposal from developer Omnicron, based out of Vancouver and Victoria, will include 138 apartments and more than 10,000 square feet of commercial and office space for medical and other professionals.
Town council passed a motion on Sept. 4 instructing staff to stick to deadlines in order to have the third reading of the motion complete by the end of November.
Staff was hesitant to make promises, expressing its main concern to be getting the information they need from the developer and pushing through an insufficient application.
B次元官网网址淚n our past there have been development processes that have failed and part of that failure was, in my way of thinking, the neglect of staff, the lack of due diligence, over promising on behalf of the community,B次元官网网址� chief administrative officer Kim Adema said.
B次元官网网址淚n that light, I donB次元官网网址檛 believe that we can afford to compromise due diligence.B次元官网网址�
Director of development Lindsay Chase said staff is waiting on parking information and some servicing requirements and were not satisfied with a transportation study the developer submitted.
B次元官网网址淚 think we have a good working relationship with staff and want to continue that,B次元官网网址� Omnicron director Peter Laughlin said at the meeting.
B次元官网网址淚 can assure you we will give 110 per cent to work with staff to make sure that communication stays appropriate.B次元官网网址�
Coun. David Screech said he had trouble understanding the resistance to setting strict deadlines for moving the process along in a timely fashion.
B次元官网网址淚 feel at the moment like we are being forced into a position of making it look like we, as a council, are ramming this through,B次元官网网址� Screech said.
B次元官网网址淭his is a development that brings so much good for our community. B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 a once in a lifetime, almost, opportunity to get on with it. And I really resent that weB次元官网网址檙e going to have to pass a motion to expedite it.B次元官网网址�
Chase explained the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is also in the mix and has to be waited on before the bylaw can receive its final adoption.
If the application does go ahead as council has instructed, then a public hearing will be held sometime in November.
The developer offered help by way of a contractor to speed up the process.
Coun. Heidi Rast disagreed with the rest of council and said staff should be given enough time to use due diligence to develop a rezoning proposal that has no holes in it.
B次元官网网址淚 think forcing a date doesnB次元官网网址檛 do anything,B次元官网网址� Rast said. B次元官网网址淚 think waiting and seeing it work out for a few more weeks is a better option.B次元官网网址�
Project manager Peter Laughlin of Omnicron did not return requests for an interview.
