There could soon be another major residential development happening in Langford, just off Veteran's Memorial Parkway near the Trans Canada Highway.

An application was recently approved by the city's Planning, Zoning and Affordable Housing Committee which would see four properties on Stranlund Avenue B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ including an old "gravel processing facility" which has been considered "a nuisance property" in the past according to the recommendation B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ redeveloped into a 24-unit townhouse complex, a two-unit residential small lot subdivision and the refurbishment of an existing residential duplex.

One of the properties in the proposal, has been particularly concerning in terms of land use meeting the zoning of the area, according to Lorne Fletcher, manager of community safety and municipal enforcement for the City of Langford, though the residents of the area have been strangely accepting of it.

"That property was at one time used for a septic tank servicing centre," according to Lorne Fletcher, manager of community safety and municipal enforcement for the City of Langford. "They would bring concrete septic tanks onto the site, store them and transport them out to various job sites in the West Shore," which he said "was absolutely non-conforming" with the regulated land use zoning in that area.

"It always astonished me that neighbours in that area didn't complain about the presence of larger trucks, backhoes and digging equipment that would show up on the site," he said, "but our direction from council is that the enforcement of bylaws largely hinge on the level of neighbourhood concern that is expressed and the objection to the activities," and due to the lack of complaints, the activity was allowed to continue.

A number of infrastructure issues need to be addressed before construction on the property can go ahead, however. These include questions surrounding the multi-use trail on the opposite (north) side of the street, which council may ask the applicant to pave an extension onto rather than building a sidewalk along the south side of the street alongside the property as a condition of rezoning. There is also a transit stop nearby at Daymeer Place that the applicant may be requested to improve as another condition.

Council will also need to see a specific development proposal for the proposed townhouse buildings before a building permit will be issued for the property and an environmental assessment will need to be done by a Registered Professional Biologist stating the portion of the site falling within the riparian area that will be built upon is more than 43 m from the nearby watercourse.

Developments of this size are a substantial contribution to the city coffers. If approved, the developer would be contributing $82,992 between their contributions to the city's General Amenity Reserve Fund and Affordable Housing Reserve Fund, as well as an additional $281,472.10 in various development cost charges.

The recommendation from the committee is due to come before council tonight.

mdavies@goldstreamgazette.com