Inside Langford

Tomorrow night’s Planning, Zoning, and Affordable Housing Committee meeting (agenda now available in the Inside Langford “FILES” section on the left sidebar) is slated to look at only one issue: 2510 Echo Valley Drive on Bear Mountain.

The proposal is to rezone the property, which currently has one dwelling on it, to a zone that allows for fifteen. The owner and resident, Lawrence Paul Goudy, is prepared to donate 55% of the property as “open space”. The staff report notes that 2510 Echo Drive “is forested, and lies within designated environmentally sensitive and hazardous development permit areas,” and that “no development may occur on the subject property (under existing or proposed zoning) prior to the issuance of a development permit.” It goes on to add that “The subject property contains areas of steep terrain , which range in elevation from a peak of 285m (935 ft) to a low of 205m (672 ft).”

The staff report also notes that under the current zoning the subject property could be developed with 250 lots based on simple area calculation, though that analysis does not seem to take into account sections that perhaps would not be developed due to steep slopes or perhaps should not be developed due to the fact that the heavily forested property has been recognised as an environmentally sensitive area. Nonetheless, the 15 lots that have been proposed for the property is certainly significantly fewer than could have been accomodated on the site despite any challenges present.

Of interest, and unusual in the applications that have come before Langford Council in my time as a ‘Langford Watchdog’, the staff report adds that “the applicant does not wish for this open space area to be developed as active park space (e.g. trails or playgrounds) as long as he resides in his house, but rather wishes for it to be maintained in a natural state for wildlife corridors and protection of sensitive ecosystems.”

Finally, the staff report indicates that the “proposal does not contemplate a decrease to the overall density permitted within the CD6 zone [Bear Mountain]. The additional units that could have been created on the subject property are expected to be incorporated into development elsewhere in the CD6 zone.”

Here are the options for the committee to consider, as presented in the staff report (though they are always free to suggest new options for themselves):

Option 1

1. Direct staff to prepare a bylaw to amend Zoning Bylaw 300 as follows:
a. By amending the CD6 (Comprehensive Development 6 – Bear Mountain) zone by creating a new “Area 6″ that will:
1. Allow one-family dwellings and associated accessory uses common to large lot zones (such as home occupations and secondary suites);
II. Specify a maximum permitted density of 15 dwelling units;
b. By amending the “Schedule O” map such that the property at 2510 Echo Valley Drive is designated within the new Area 6.

AND

2. Direct the applicant to provide, prior to Bylaw Adoption , a Section 219 covenant that requires the applicant to submit an open space preservation plan (including area and location of preserved areas , and method of preservation ) that will protect approximately 55% of the area of the subject property to the satisfaction of the Parks Manager , prior the issuance of a statement of conditions for the subdivision of the subject property. The open space preservation plan shall be implemented as a condition of the statement of conditions:

AND EITHER

3. That the lands specified in the open space preservation plan be dedicated to the City at the time of subdivision . This land dedication shall NOT be counted towards the requirement for Bear Mountain to provide 54% of their land as public and private open space , as specified by the Bear Mountain Master Development Agreement;

OR

4. That the lands specified in the open space preservation plan be protected by a nondisturbance or third party conservation covenant on private lots at the time of subdivision;

OR Option 2

5. Reject this application for rezoning;