Langford council winding down before election

This story was originally published in The Westshore newsletter, July 21, 2022. 

With the election nearing and reduced council meetings over the summer, council voted (with Couns. Szpak and Blackwell opposed) to cancel three meetings closest to the October election, as well as the planning zoning and affordable housing committee meetings, which fall a week prior to each council meeting.

Mayor Stew Young said that’s the way it’s always been in Langford. "I don’t think we need to have a meeting and make big decisions, or any decisions, in the last month before an election. And we’ve never done that; we’ve actually always stepped back and let the decisions close to an election be made by the next council," Young said.

Meetings previously scheduled for Sept. 19, Oct. 3, and Oct. 17 have been cancelled. The municipal election will be held on Oct. 15, and the new council will have its first meeting on Nov. 7. This current council still has meetings on Aug. 15 and Sept. 6.

Public hearings close with minimal comment

Two public hearings for housing developments were held at the July 18 meeting, and uncharacteristically only one person called in, this time voicing support.

A six-storey residential building on Bray Avenue with 115 units is being proposed by a group of three couples, who own each of the three properties that will be turned into the new building. The development proposal includes significantly more common amenity space (28%) than is required by Langford bylaws (5%). The proposal includes a yard, balcony, and rooftop patio with fire pits, BBQs, a play area, vegetable gardens, and more. Over the last year, comments at public hearings have increasingly called for more amenity and gathering spaces in the new developments being approved in Langford.

A16-unit townhouse strata proposal at Sooke Road and Happy Valley Road will amalgamate two lots that currently have detached houses with secondary buildings.

Approvals and readings

A Happy Valley landowner whose property is in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) is hoping to slice off a portion of land separated by a creek. Langford staff indicated there are challenges with the application, since the section the owner wants to separate from her property has no street access. Langford approved the application, which is required in order for it to go before the ALR for consideration.

The city bought a two-storey green clad commercial space at 2826 Bryn Maur Rd. late last year. Currently vacant, the city approved a plan on Monday to rent two suites and sell one. Sea-Isle Rehabilitation, an organization that helps people recovering from brain injuries, will pay $1 a year to rent one suite. The Vancouver Island South Film & Media Commission will rent another for $1,200 a month. The third suite will go to iMagic Productions, a local film company from which Langford purchased a building to upgrade the nearby intersection. iMagic hasn’t found a new location and wants to buy this one for $350,000. Langford reserves the right to buy it back when iMagic leaves for the same price, plus a quarter of the property assessment increase.

A 12-storey building with commercial space and 88 residential units at 2822, 2824, and 2828 Jacklin Rd. was approved. The Legion building, already being renovated, just officially got rezoned to a city-centre designation that allows for higher density. Council approved the Olympic View comprehensive development plan for the lands south of Khalanie and Latoria Drive.