Broom Hill is 100 acres of coastal island forested land too vast to imagine while you're in it. The jagged landscape full of trees and undergrowth limits your view in every direction and distorts your perception of space.

One hundred acres of blasted, flattened and deforested land is easy to imagine B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ the wide roadways, curated 'natural' landscaping here and there, two-storey homes within spitting distance and multiple vehicles parked on the road outside each new multi-million-dollar house.

But is 100 acres of cleared, raw terrain actually easy to imagine? How many developments of this size do you know of in Sooke? If so, what are they like? It seems like a pretty big deal to set up a development this size around here, I mean, I'd estimate 120 acres having 500 or more houses stuffed in. Maybe more. That's a community-changing-sized residential development.

I understand that developing residential areas is an important aspect of a healthy community. And in some instances, Sooke has some very well-considered, homely residential developments. In most cases, unfortunately, not so much.

The sign announcing a rezoning application by Farrell Estates, of Richmond B.C., was put up at the Broom Hill trailhead at the top of Blanchard Road recently. Zoning is really the only leverage our district has over private landowners, and once a change in zoning is approved, it's a done deal.

In this case, the zoning being sought by the developer removes a great many limits, and the development is of such great size. The land is filled with incalculable natural and recreational value.

I think the public should be involved in whatever the process is going forward, before this rezoning application is rubber-stamped.

The district should be using rezoning applications of this magnitude as leverage to ensure that the outcome is of maximum benefit to all concerned. Once this land is developed, that's a done deal forever.

Lorien Arnold

Sooke