PENINSULA
NEWS
Established 1912
Celebrating the sea
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World Oceans Day festivities kick off Sunday with activities at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, page A3
Finance expert Peter Dolezal lays out the pros and cons of getting into U.S. securities, page A11 Watch for breaking news at www.peninsulanewsreview.com
Friday, June 1, 2012
Island View plan worries neighbours Flooding fears surface in beach management plan Christine van Reeuwyk News staff
should have the right to approve actions made by the Town of Sidney.” Coun. Steve Price said, “99.9 per cent of the town likes what staff has done.” Some residents of Fourth Street said the zoning changes could take away their view if a proposed three-storey, 10-unit building goes up nearby (three units would be lower cost housing).
The mosquitoes aren’t bad this year, say residents in the Island View beach area, but they fear the future. In a response to a March council request, Jeff Ward, manager of planning and resource management for the Capital Regional District, presented an overview of the Island View Beach Regional Park management planning process to Central Saanich council Monday night. The gallery at municipal hall was filled with residents, mostly concerned about too much water in that Island View area. “Half the community on that side is donating blood every summer,” said Coun. Terry Siklenka referring to complaints from residents. The issue of ditch maintenance came to a head last summer as residents were inundated with mosquitoes after water was left sitting in drainage ditches in the area. Central Saanich went in and cleaned up the ditches then and things are much better as a result this year, residents said. “There are no mosquitoes this year,” said Jason Austin, of the Island View ditch and mosquito committee that formed in February 2011 in response to the salt marsh mosquitoes inundating neighbouring residents. Siklenka and others questioned the CRD commitment to keeping the ditches clear, as outlined in the 1989 document currently in place.
PLEASE SEE: Blocked views, page A12
PLEASE SEE: Seawall removal would flood, page A5
Christine van Reeuwyk/News staff
Little sprouts sprout a garden Jade Fisher Marshall and Jonah Merriam prepare to place a tomato plant in one of the many garden plots at Countryside Preschool in the Mount Newton Valley. The preschool recently won two awards. Find out what for on page A8.
Owners despair zoning change Erin Cardone News staff
Some Sidney residents could soon see significant changes to the zoning of their property. The proposed changes affect what kinds of structures can be built and the future look and feel of their neighbourhoods. At a public hearing Monday, May 28, more than a dozen speakers told council a proposed zoning bylaw change, in the
works for three years, shouldn’t go ahead. One of the biggest concerns, prompting Coun. Tim Chad to vote against giving the bylaw a third reading, was that altered zoning would make certain properties legally non-conforming, and put at risk a homeowner’s chance at securing a mortgage. “This change will make some properties unusable in the future for the owner,” Chad said. “I believe for a man or a woman that their home is their castle and they
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