PENINSULA
NEWS REVIEW
Skate park designs sought
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6722 Bertram Place (at Keating Cross Rd.)
Town of Sidney is getting an early start on designing a new skate park, page 9
Two Sidney firefighters helped save a life and their efforts have been recognized, page 3
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Wednesday, July 22, 2015
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Airport retail to extend Beacon Ave. C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
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Sidney Gateway plans back before the public and municipality as Victoria Airport Authority ramps up Steven Heywood News staff
Extending the look and feel of Sidney’s downtown shopping experience is part of the vision for the Victoria Airport Authority’s proposed retail development at the western corner of Beacon Avenue and the Pat Bay Highway. The VAA revealed last Thursday its revised plans for the site, redesigned following public open houses and an online survey held in July exactly one year ago. VAA has entered into an exclusive agreement with the development company Omicron, to design the site and help seek out potential tenants for the esti“We want this to mated 10 retail buildings proposed for 10-acre site. The site, said Omicron’s be part of the whole the Vancouver Island Director Peter Laugh(downtown) area lin, will be anchored by a grocery store and large spaces for medical offices and — to include this a financial institution, among others — in Sidney’s Beacon resulting in around 100,000 square feet Avenue experience.” of new retail space in Sidney. While Omicron has been seeking – James Bogusz out potential tenants, none can be be announced until they are formally signed once the project gets through a variety of local and provincial regulatory steps. Those include municipal zoning and official community plan amendments, approval of the roadway plans by the Ministry of Transportation and Highways and the removal of land from the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve. James Bogusz, VAA vice-president of operations and development said the airport authority doesn’t technically have to adhere to ALR rules, as it’s a federal property. However, he said they want to act in good faith and give topsoil removed from the site during construction to area farmers. Preliminary plans for the site show a re-alignment of Stirling Way, making it connect to Beacon Avenue West via a roundabout at Galaran Road.
Up and Over
PLEASE SEE: VAA wants plans in front of the community, page 5
Gillian Dorosh and Astro leap over an obstacle during a riding lesson at Lochside Lane Farm in Central Saanich. Instructor Tanya Hardy had the pair and others getting ready for jump shows this summer.
Steven Heywood/News staff
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