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Oak Bay gathers for hot dogs and cake to celebrate July 1. Offer Expires July 18th, 2012
BY6
Page A14
Watch for breaking news at www.oakbaynews.com
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Growing community Emily Zabel, one of the lead project volunteers of the Oak Bay United Church community garden, works to clear the weeds near a mural so grass can be planted for a space the church hopes can be used for gatherings. See the story on page A3. Sharon Tiffin/News staff
VIHA prepared to close Oak Bay Lodge Variances denied, health authority to look elsewhere for new facility Christine van Reeuwyk News staff
Complex care will go elsewhere after council denied variances needed to replace Oak Bay Lodge with a modern care home.
“Baptist Housing is extremely disappointed with this decision. We have spent the past two years working with council and the community of Oak Bay on our proposal to build a resident-centred care facility that would have provided the level of care our seniors are so deserving of,” said Howard Johnson, CEO of Baptist Housing. Oak Bay council denied height and parking variances needed to redevelop the lodge site as a 320-bed dementia care facil-
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ity, operated by Baptist Housing on behalf of the Vancouver Island Health Authority. “VIHA should have asked us at the outset what we thought was appropriate on the site,” said Mayor Nils Jensen, who cast the final vote opposed to the variances. Councillors Tara Ney, Cairine Green and Michelle Kirby rounded out the opposed vote. Most referenced the planning report offered to council last week saying that “the
height of the building does not lend itself to the character of the existing community at its current location.” “The design and scale is not keeping with Oak Bay and this neighbourhood in particular,” Ney said via Skype. “The shoe doesn’t fit. I don’t think this is the right building for this location. … We will get it right.” PLEASE SEE: Future uncertain for Lodge, Page A5
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