Saanich News, August 14, 2013

Page 1

World heritage

B.C. Archives to submit Douglas treaties to UNESCO Page A3

NEWS: Ex-teacher guilty of harassing women /A4 ARTS: Find an old squeeze at accordion fest /A12 SPORTS: World youth climbers scale Victoria /A14

SAANICHNEWS Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Ready ow!! NBlackberries Boysenberries Raspberries

Strawberries, Loganberries and Tayberries are Limited GOBIND FARMS GO “BEST” Berries

6929 Veyaness Rd. off Keating X Rd.

250.652.0182

Watch for breaking news at WWW.VICNEWS.COM

144-unit senior’s complex eyed for Gorge Road at Admirals Kyle Slavin News staff

For 83 years, the corner of Gorge and Admirals roads has been home to the historic Brookman’s Grocery (formerly the Craigflower Bridge Store) and Saanich Auto Repair (formerly Brookman’s Garage). But for the second time in under a decade, Saanich council is being asked to consider a significant redevelopment of that corner, this time to make way for a four-storey, 144-unit seniors care home. Council on Monday was expected to hear from the property owners, Saanich Senior Living Inc., about their plans to for an independent living facility, along with a care facility for seniors with memory loss. In his report to council, Jarret Matanowitsch, Saanich’s manager of current planning, noted the property is “outdated” and suggested council approve the redevelopment, given the positive impact it could have. “The scale and density of the proposed facility reflect the economic challenges of providing relatively affordable serviced accommodations for seniors,” he wrote. “It would expand the range of housing choice available in the neighbourhood (and) address the demand for residential accommodation to house an aging population.” PLEASE SEE: Grocery, Page A5

Saanich resident Dave Poje is trying to convince the municipalities of Saanich and View Royal to buy 28 acres of private forest near Victoria General Hospital for a park. The forest helps form a divide between rural Saanich and the growing suburban neighbourhoods of View Royal. Edward Hill/News staff

Pushing for more parkland Saanich mulls a family’s efforts to have 28 acres of forest become the municipality’s next park Edward Hill News staff

For people focused on arriving at Victoria General Hospital or nearby single residential neighbourhoods, the second-growth forest on Watkiss Way can speed by in a green blur. That’s how it was for Dave Poje, a retired Saanich resident while visiting his daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law in View Royal. “I drove by the forest regularly,” Poje says. “Then two years ago at my granddaughter’s

birthday, all of a sudden it popped. Wouldn’t this place be fantastic for a park? That was the beginning of the trek.” Poje and his family are leading a low-key but determined effort to preserve the 28-acre forest as a nature park, tentatively called Watkiss Park. Currently and for decades, it has been private land within the provincial agricultural land reserve, and a remnant of one family’s much larger 600-acre property that once included the hospital grounds. “We would like Saanich to negotiate for the property. I’ve sent a proposal to Saanich and View Royal saying why don’t they get together on this?” Poje says. “It’s unlikely Saanich would fund the park by itself. I envision some kind of (cost sharing) arrangement.” Turning large swaths of private property into parkland is never easy. The forest itself sits against the zigzagging municipal boundary

MLS #322103

of rural Saanich and abuts the western leg of Watkiss Way opposite the hospital and nearby suburban neighbourhoods in View Royal. The land’s assessed value is $1.4 million, and arguably, Saanich would face the prospect of purchasing a forest that would most directly benefit View Royal taxpayers. Poje stresses time is of the essence – as designated agricultural land, it has the potential to be clear cut for farming purposes. “You could wind up with 28 acres totally cleared,” he said. “With the loss of forest a concern in Saanich, this is an example of (potential) conflict between farmland and forest cover.” Native vegetation covers the vast majority of forest floor under a healthy canopy of Douglas firs.

MLS #327283

4361 Faithwood Rd. BROADMEAD $688,000

5222 Santa Clara CORDOVA BAY $724,500

201-535 Heatherdale Lane ROYAL OAK $449,000

250.744.3301 www.roxannebrass.com remaxroxanne@shaw.ca

PLEASE SEE: Park a benefit, Page A8


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Saanich News, August 14, 2013 by Black Press Media Group - Issuu