SOOKE
NEWS MIRROR
2010 WINNER
ON STAGE
DOG WALK
The Sooke Harbour Players wind up their year. Page 15
Editorial
Page 8
Entertainment
Page 15
Sooke’s local pups walk for a good cause.
Sports/stats
Page 27
Page 27
Agreement #40110541
Wednesday, JUNE 20, 2012
Your community, your classifieds P26 • 75¢ Pirjo Raits photo
Canadian eh? Grade 2 students at Sooke elementary school got a short lesson in symbols from RCMP Staff Sgt. Steve Wright, Lion Mike and Constable Jamie on June 13. Wright talked about the RCMP red serge uniform and its 139 year history and the current Canadian flag which was unveiled in 1965. Canada becomes 145 years old on July 1 and celebrations will be held at the Sooke Flats. Loggers’ sports, flags, music, concessions, raft races, entertainment and fireworks are all planned for Canada Day.
Downzoning affects property rights Property rights questioned Pirjo Raits Sooke News Mirror
Down-zonings on waterfront properties has left some residents of Sooke questioning the reasons. It has also opened up more inquiries as to the rationale of changing other zonings without informing property owners. At the heart of the matter is the growing opposition to an application to amend the purpose and definition of the W2 zone. A public hearing for a bylaw amendment to Bylaw No. 500 Sooke Zoning Bylaw, 2011 was held to add “group moorage” into the purpose of the W2 zone and allow group
moorage as a principle use and define group moorage. The proposal is to define group moorage as a multiberth moorage similar to a private moorage facility but for the personal use of a group or association of residents from the surrounding community. At the public hearing a number of people came forward to speak of their opposition to the change. Some were residents on neighbouring properties, citing potential parking, noise and dust problems. Another felt, in a written submission to council, that this could cause any number of properties zoned W2 to expand their moorage to the maximum and create more group moorages. A petition with 31 signatures opposed to group
moorage was presented to “If an illegal situation occurs council along with a cou- for a long time does that make ple of written submissions. it legal?” he questioned. One resident said, “CounDistrict planner Gerard cil does not have LeBlanc said the ch the right to take changes were m away our peacemade because th ful existence... they did not want to create non-conor drive down fo property values.” forming zoning an Realtor Bruce and they picked a zoning which McMillan stated wo this was a “gross would apply to the pr invasion of privacy.” property based on (foreshore) Salty Towers’ le owner Neil Flynn, lease. In regard to the specific whose property pr is next to the conproperty at 1573 Rick Du troversial propDufour, LeBlanc Kasper erty seeking a W2 said the property —Councillor had private moorzoning and group moorage, said this age and more than proposed bylaw would private moorage was hapaffect all private docks. pening there. W3 zoning “If changes are made, any does not apply to upland private dock could pursue use, and is a “commercial” group moorage,” said Flynn. ie: marina designation.
Sunriver
Mayor Wendal Milne asked how many W2 zones would be affected and said he could not support the amendment. In the information package presented at the public hearing, it stated that six properties would be affected by the bylaw amendment, others felt there were many more. When the latest Sooke Zoning Bylaw 500 was enacted there were many properties which were down-zoned to comply with various land use categories. Property owners were not informed personally but rather through an all encompassing advertisement in the Sooke News Mirror, said Councillor Rick Kasper. He said this makes it necessary for the property owners whose zoning has changed to apply and pay
for a rezoning to bring their properties back to the original land use designation and resulting applicable uses. He also said that there were hundreds of properties in seven categories that had their properties downzoned. Most, if not all, of those properties were outside the sewer specified area. Kasper thinks this is some sort of “money grab.” “Property rights have been stolen,” he said, adding that the changes have serious impact on property owners and the original zoning should be reinstated. He questioned what the reasoning was in changing the zoning and to whose benefit it was done. The item was tabled at the council meeting.
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