The public hearing for the Painter and Metchosin rezoning is scheduled for Sept 30.

To turn a churchyard into rental apartment buildings is the worst of development nightmares for those of us who live in the area or try to navigate children to and from Sangster School.

In spite of a huge opposition from citizens of Colwood, a majority of the council still seems determined to ram through this high density project, and with a sinking heart I realize it is all my fault.

Thirty years ago a group of us decided we did not want to be incorporated with Langford, and started our own committee to make Colwood an independent municipality. Residents voted to have their own local control, in part to avoid the tsunami of development which Langford harnessed later with such awesome efficiency.

At that time Colwood was a peaceful and gracious community, almost completely built out to single family residences. Because of the high density of population to land area which this had created, when I filled out the application form to the BC Government, we had to call it a City.

It sounded ridiculous to everyone at the time, but no, we could not be a District Municipality like Metchosin or Langford, because the province thought we were already too populated.

Little did we know that down the road some new residents on Colwood council would actually take that word City seriously, and create a big expensive bureaucracy devoted to high density development. They should all be happy now, Royal Bay is enough city for anyone.

Because of the planned density in Royal Bay, there is all the more reason to draw a proper zoning line and preserve our old single family neighbourhoods. This is all that the residents are asking for, and what good loyal  local government  should provide without question.

Lois Gardner

Colwood