The giant Sandstone project in Nanaimo’s south end has made it through the public hearing stage.
City council, at a meeting Thursday, Nov. 16, voted for third reading of a re-zoning application for land on both sides of the Trans-Canada Highway in the Cinnabar Valley, Cedar and Duke Point.
The application from Seacliff Properties will allow for the development, over more than two decades, of 800 single-family homes, 500 townhouses, 900 condos or apartments, plus commercial space in Cedar and industrial land in Duke Point.
More than a dozen people spoke at the public hearing, with about 60 per cent opposed to the project, voicing concerns mainly about traffic.
Kirk Macdonald, a resident of Roberta Road East, presented a petition with 90 signatures from people opposed to the re-zoning due to concerns about traffic and safety.
“It’s not just about Roberta Road, it’s about the access which pretty much everybody in Chase River shares and there’s no solutions being offered by this proposal,” he said.
The Cinnabar Valley portion of the development is envisioned to accommodate 600 homes, and a transportation mitigation package put forward by Seacliff shows that development of the 50th lot would trigger a slate of transportation improvements including widening of Cranberry Avenue, a roundabout at Cranberry and Extension roads, and an access road from Extension Road to the development through Elaine Hamilton Park.
“We are making a significant financial commitment to improving the transportation network in south Nanaimo, with a significant portion of those resources going towards the west side of the highway,” said Georgia Desjardins, director of development with Seacliff Properties. “Based on preliminary estimates, it’s well over $20 million that will be invested starting at Cranberry Avenue where it meets the Trans-Canada Highway.”
Mike Parker, president of the Chase River Community Association, spoke in favour of the re-zoning application, even though he said Seacliff’s previous proposal, which included more commercial development, was preferred by residents. However, he said the developer has the means and willingness to follow through with a project that will make the city better.
“We’ve waited a long time for this to get to this stage that we’re at right now,” Parker said. “It’s not perfect, I’ll be the first to admit that.”
READ ALSO: City of Nanaimo gets started on re-zoning huge parcels of Sandstone land
Councillors had mixed feelings about the re-zoning application, with many echoing residents’ concerns about traffic, especially the single access into the area at Chase River.
“It’s a zoo,” said Coun. Ben Geselbracht. “And adding that many more people into that area when there’s so many constraints to actually having proper traffic and corridors out of that area, we’ve been looking at it for five years and I haven’t seen anything that’s a solution.”
He added that the City of Nanaimo will end up subsidizing the development because of the scale of transportation improvements that will be required.
“Things are going to get worse whether or not this goes ahead, and I think this development will spur those improvements that are badly needed,” said Coun. Ian Thorpe. “I think without this development going ahead, it’s going to take longer to see traffic improvements and safety improvements.”
Coun. Erin Hemmens said she disliked the portion of the plan that includes 600 homes in the Cinnabar Valley, but liked other aspects, including the idea of unlocking industrial lands needed for economic development in the region.
Coun. Tyler Brown opposed the project, saying it’s “unfortunate” that the Sandstone master plan is part of the city plan. He said the City of Nanaimo hasn’t learned from the “damage” caused by decades of sprawl.
“There’s aspects of it undoubtedly that Nanaimo needs, but taken as a whole, this will be extremely detrimental to the city as a whole and I think the legacy people will be voting on here is simply very, very poor city building,” he said.
Geselbracht agreed that the development amounts to sprawl and runs counter to city plan objectives, though other members of council noted that the development is within city limits.
“Our goal as a city is to develop within the urban containment boundary so we can protect those areas outside of the urban containment boundary for rural resource, for agriculture, for recreation, for biodiversity protection, for all those reasons,” said Coun. Paul Manly.
Mayor Leonard Krog agreed that development within urban containment boundaries shouldn’t be regarded as sprawl, and said he supported the project for its economic development potential and because it will help support the city’s growth and housing needs.
Several councillors added that they were also influenced by Snuneymuxw First Nation’s support for the project. The First Nation is being transferred 51 hectares of the Sandstone lands along the Nanaimo River.
“Snuneymuxw has been impoverished in this community since colonization and what is good for Snuneymuxw is good for the rest of the community as far as I’m concerned,” Manly said.
The council member who most enthusiastically supported the re-zoning application at the meeting was Coun. Janice Perrino, who called it the most exciting project that Nanaimo has seen in years.
“I can’t believe we are finally at this stage,” she said. “When you build projects like this, not only do you get the road improvements, but you get amenities that you’ve maybe never had before in that area and that area deserves to have several different amenities that will come because of this extra growth.”
Third reading of the zoning amendment bylaw passed 7-2 with Brown and Geselbracht opposed.
READ ALSO: Sandstone’s master plan makes it through public hearing