When Justine and Walter Ash moved into their Vic West home two weeks ago, they thought theyB次元官网网址檇 found the perfect location.

The Hereward Road property, on the border between Victoria and Esquimalt, offered easy access to the E&N Rail Trail, a big yard and ample space to raise their first child, due in May.

Before they put down an offer, the couple decided to check with the Capital Regional District about possible construction in the area.

B次元官网网址淲e knew about the sewage pipeline being built out from McLoughlin Point to Hartland (landfill in Saanich), so we wanted to know if the street would be torn up,B次元官网网址� Justine said. B次元官网网址淚t never occurred to us they would be building a shit factory across the street.B次元官网网址�

The CRD announced last week it had purchased a $17-million industrial property on Viewfield Road, just metres from the AshesB次元官网网址� home, as a possible site for a sewage processing facility.

If the Viewfield site were to be used, sewage would be pumped about two kilometres from the wastewater treatment plant at McLoughlin Point to be harvested for energy and resources.

Such a scenario would save $6 to $7 million over building a biosolids plant at Hartland B次元官网网址� which would require 18 km of pipes B次元官网网址� said Denise Blackwell, chair of the CRDB次元官网网址檚 core area wastewater management committee.

The Ashes, however, feel they were misled. Walter contacted the CRD before they bought their home and requested information on pipelines, solid waste trucking routes and publicly available maps.

B次元官网网址淎s a prospective first-time home buyer, I want to be aware of the treatment plans so that I can make an informed decision,B次元官网网址� he wrote in a Jan. 31 email to Heather Raines, executive assistant with the CRDB次元官网网址檚 core area wastewater treatment program.

B次元官网网址淚 was wondering if you could comment on the areas of the city (Esquimalt and Vic West, in particular) that may be impacted by the CRD water treatment plans.B次元官网网址�

In her Feb. 4 response, Raines provided a link to a 2010 environmental impact study that states: B次元官网网址淪ludge will be processed at a biosolids facility built at the Hartland North site.B次元官网网址� Raines wrote the construction schedule in the study had changed, but B次元官网网址渢he other information is still applicable.B次元官网网址�

The next day, Walter and Justine put down an offer on their new home.

CRD spokesman Andy Orr sympathized with the couple, but said government land deals tend to be done in secret to avoid price speculation.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think we could have released the information any sooner than we did,B次元官网网址� he said.

Ed McDonald owns MAC Renovations on Viewfield Road, directly across the street from the proposed biosolids site. While truck traffic is already heavy in the area, McDonald worries about the likelihood of falling property values.

B次元官网网址淭he CRDB次元官网网址檚 process is really upsetting,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey never miss collecting a tax bill from us.B次元官网网址�

Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins said the inclusion of a biosolids plant would disproportionately burden the township with all of the major components of the Capital RegionB次元官网网址檚 $783-million secondary sewage treatment project.

B次元官网网址淭he process to purchase this site prior to any public knowledge or input denies the public their rights, and it denies the municipality their rights that this was all done in-camera,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a disrespect to the population.B次元官网网址�

The CRD says it undertook an exhaustive process to find alternative properties for the biosolids centre, but in the end, only Viewfield Road and Hartland were deemed viable for social, environmental and economic reasons.

B次元官网网址淲e looked at some places in the Inner Harbour, we looked at moving the public works yard in the City of Victoria B次元官网网址� there was always someone who didnB次元官网网址檛 want to sell,B次元官网网址� Blackwell said.

A deal in View Royal also looked promising, but the seller came back with unreasonable demands, she said.

B次元官网网址淏ut we havenB次元官网网址檛 made a decision. Both sites have their good and their bad sides to them. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why weB次元官网网址檙e going to public consultation.B次元官网网址�

EsquimaltB次元官网网址檚 director of development, Bill Brown, said the township will lose at least $160,000 in property taxes next year from the loss of the 4.2-acre Viewfield site.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 approximately nine per cent of our industrial park, and that doesnB次元官网网址檛 account for the large buffer that will probably be around the plant, and depreciating home values,B次元官网网址� he said.

A 2009 CRD inventory assessment estimates more than 340 acres of new industrial land will be required in Greater Victoria over the next 30 years, with the greatest demand in the core municipalities.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 strange the CRD would want to take industrial land out of commission, when their own report identifies a need for it,B次元官网网址� Brown said.

Justine Ash has already contacted most of her municipal and provincial representatives and plans to make her opinion known as the discussion unfolds.

B次元官网网址淲hile IB次元官网网址檓 willing to do whatever I can to oppose it, my hope is ultimately the plan wonB次元官网网址檛 go through because itB次元官网网址檚 just so asinine,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭his was supposed to be the most exciting week of our lives.B次元官网网址�

dpalmer@vicnews.com

*Edit: An older version of this story wrongly stated the Viewfield site would save $6 to 7 million annually in operating costs.