A public open house was held Tuesday at Millstream Elementary School to tell the residents of Thetis Heights about the plans soon to be going before Langford City Council to develop the land between them and the Trans Canada Highway.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a little late, though, for some residents.
B次元官网网址淭o me, itB次元官网网址檚 like, someone comes over to your house, pulls the wheels off your car, gets the engine half out and tells you, B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 going to propose something to you.B次元官网网址� Well, youB次元官网网址檝e already taken the wheels off, why didnB次元官网网址檛 you come to me before you did that?B次元官网网址� said Thetis Heights resident Tony Jennings, whose Nicki Place property backs on the proposed development.
B次元官网网址淲hen we bought the house,B次元官网网址� Jennings said, B次元官网网址渢hat was part of the decision B次元官网网址� the natural beauty in the backyard. We were told they were never going to be able to build back there, because there wasnB次元官网网址檛 enough space and it was Thetis Lake Park. There was a nice little dog trail back through there with doggy-bag dispensers and people would come walk their dogs and it was beautiful. ThatB次元官网网址檚 all gone now.B次元官网网址�
Les Bjola, CEO of Turner Lane Development Corp., hired to oversee the rezoning and development of the property, said these open houses are where concerns such as JenningsB次元官网网址� can be addressed before projects go before council for approval.
B次元官网网址淪ometimes you get a ton of people, sometimes youB次元官网网址檒l get none,B次元官网网址� Bjola said before the meeting got underway. B次元官网网址淏ut weB次元官网网址檒l be here for two hours, and people can come and go as they please.B次元官网网址�
The meeting ran from 7 to 9 p.m. and saw many neighbours pop by to chime in with concerns.
B次元官网网址淲e want to be able to deal with peopleB次元官网网址檚 issues individually,B次元官网网址� Bjola said. B次元官网网址淎nything we can do to help them, we want to do that.B次元官网网址� Some residents at this particular meeting, for example, had questions about specific trees possibly being removed, and Bjola told them to leave their number and someone would come by their house whenever was good for them to look at the specific trees in the discussion. B次元官网网址淵ou really want to meet with the neighbours,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey want to put a face to it, they want to know and you want to ensure them youB次元官网网址檙e not coming in to wreck their neighbourhood.B次元官网网址�
Bjola said the main concerns he heard from the residents were around prospective traffic and parking issues, the lack of a trail head into Thetis Lake Park and concern that the townhouses might lower the value of their homes.
One resident, he said, had concerns over one particular tree, B次元官网网址渟o weB次元官网网址檙e going to go have a look at it and see if itB次元官网网址檚 expected to be impacted.B次元官网网址� Another said his home was flooding and wondered if the development could help with storm water drainage and remediate that.
B次元官网网址淲e had a great turnout. I think we solved some misconceptions. I think we got a bunch of ideas we can take away to make people happier. When I sit down to do my drawings, IB次元官网网址檓 going to have all these things in my head,B次元官网网址� Bjola said.
He expects to make adjustments to the plan while itB次元官网网址檚 being designed, based on what heB次元官网网址檚 heard from the community.
The rezoning proposal goes May 11 to the cityB次元官网网址檚 planning, zoning and affordable housing committee, which will make recommendations to council on whether to approve the plan. A public hearing will follow.
Jennings, for one, will be there.
B次元官网网址淚 just hope that we get to say something when it goes to Langford,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淢y question is, with the amount of stuff weB次元官网网址檝e got going on, does Langford really need 21 townhouses on the back of another subdivision, beside the highway where there isnB次元官网网址檛 enough room for it?B次元官网网址�
mdavies@goldstreamgazette.com
