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Developers to put 25,000 cubic metres of Esquimalt fill into Cordova Bay site

Cordova Bay’s Trio site development still awaiting redesign
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The Aragon Properties-owned Trio gravel site on Cordova Bay Road is looking to add 25,000 cubic metres of fill to help level the land for the proposed 385-unit development. Google Street View

A recent application to add 25,000 cubic metres of fill to the former Trio gravel pit in at 755 Cordova Bay Rd. is not part of the site’s awaited redesign.

Rather, it’s little more than a chance to move excess dirt to a property that can handle it, said Aragon Properties development coordinator Luke Ramsay.

“It’s not to level it off or for the new development, the reasoning is a little different,” Ramsay said.

Aragon is in the midst of redesigning its previous proposal of a mixed use 384-unit residential development at the Trio site that will likely include a community recreation space with the badminton-focused Cordova Bay Community Centre.

Aragon is excavating one level of underground parking for its Esquimalt Town Square project and is asking to put the soil and fill, about 25,000 cubic metres, at Cordova Bay, Ramsay said.

The Vancouver based company has four projects underway on the South Island, Esquimalt Town Square and English Inn, the Trio site and a redevelopment of the Pic-A-Flic building and property in Cook Street Village.

Despite the history of gravel removal from the Trio site, most of the fill was actually replaced, but it’s still below the original grade, meaning Aragon should be able to put the fill there.

Upwards of 50 residents from Aragon’s Cordova Bay email list responded to Ramsay’s notice about the fill application.

“Some are just saying thanks for the notice and some are responding with more questions to which I responded to everyone directly,” Ramsay said.

“One of the biggest concerns from some people is additional traffic to the area,” Ramsay said. “That’ll be a challenge to the design, adding road infrastructure, something we’ll discuss with Saanich engineering in our startup meeting.”

In the meantime, work continues on a redesigned proposal for the new Trio site.

“There’s a few factors we’re working with,” Ramsay said. “If we include Cordova Bay Community club, it could cancel a number of suites, then we’ll want to shift the design around to add those units in different areas, maybe with a taller building, or something else.”

In short, it will be a while before Saanich receives a new proposal for Trio.

reporter@saanichnews.com