View Royal residents gave generally favourable reviews to the proposed Eagle Creek development at a public hearing Dec. 4.
Eagle Creek is a proposed commercial and residential development for 5.8 hectares of land at the corner of Watkiss Way and Helmcken Road.
Comments made by members of the public were generally positive, although some did raise concerns.
B次元官网网址淚 do recognize that itB次元官网网址檚 going to have a lot of benefits for us,B次元官网网址� said Joanne Beagle, a Hidden Oaks resident. B次元官网网址淗owever, we do want to mitigate some of the concerns we have, especially as a resident who is going to share a fence line with the development.B次元官网网址�
Hidden Oaks townhouse community is the only developed property directly adjacent to the proposed Eagle Creek site.
Omicron, the developer, agreed to lower the building adjacent to Hidden Oaks to one storey, to minimize impact on the residents there. The end of another four-storey building, however, will still sit across from some of the townhouses.
Beagle presented a petition signed by 50 local residents asking for a maximum of three storeys on the buildings in that area of the development.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e seriously hoping we can still see some changes to help mitigate the concerns that we still have,B次元官网网址� Beagle said.
At the hearing it was also announced Quality Foods is the grocery retailer interested in leasing space set aside for a grocer in Eagle Creek. Quality Foods has locations throughout mid-Vancouver Island and Powell River. This would be the first location for the chain in Greater Victoria.
Co-owner of Helmcken Market, Shannon Tse, spoke at the hearing, asking the developer to reconsider bringing in a large grocer to compete with her small market that has served the community for 39 years.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not objecting to the development, but why do we need two stores in this small town?B次元官网网址� Tse asked.
Tse also used the opportunity to quell rumours that the store would be closing.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 here to tell you weB次元官网网址檙e going to go stronger, weB次元官网网址檙e going to continue the business,B次元官网网址� Tse said.
One resident suggested electric vehicle charging stations be incorporated into the development.
The project will also have to go through a development permit process before it can go ahead. The first phase will include retail, office and rental condominiums, along with more than 700 underground and surface parking spots.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not simply a shopping mall, itB次元官网网址檚 not simply a professional centre. It is in fact a community,B次元官网网址� project manager Peter Laughlin said.
Traffic concerns were also brought up. Those issues, which have also been brought up repeatedly by council, will be addressed as the process continues. The developer is working with View Royal staff and the Ministry of Transportation to come up with a solution.
The Dec. 4 hearing was in relation to a rezoning application that had already passed first and second readings with the town council. After the public hearing council passed a third reading. Ministry of Transportation must approve the plan before fourth and
