A discussion whether or not to amend Central Saanich's official community plan to allow a 25-unit townhouse complex at the corner of West Saanich Road and Keating X Road will be postponed until after council's summer break.
The proposed development would be built in the lot next to Sassy's Restaurant which is currently vacant, gravelled and used for overflow restaurant parking.
According to the minutes from the June 20 Advisory Planning Comission meeting, Len Wansbrough, one of the applicants for the development, said the townhouses would cost an average of $350,000 and that they would likely donate one unit to Habitat for Humanity.
Wansbrough also said that the design of the townhouses would be simple and they would have a rural farmhouse look and layout that would work to accommodate existing trees on the property.
The land is currently designated as tourist commercial. The application requests to change the zoning to commercial mixed-use and Multi Family Residential. Artisan Properties is also requesting that the property be rezoned from Tourist Commercial to Residential Attached (RM-3) and Neighborhood Commercial (C-3) but intend to keep the existing restaurant there with the eventual goal of cosmetic upgrades.
On July 23, council voted unanimously to postpone the discussion regarding Artisan Properties' request until September when they have a full council present. Coun. John Garrison sought the postponement based on the absence of Coun. Terry Siklenka at the meeting.
"The urban containment boundary is about wise planning," said Coun. Zeb King, explaining the importance of having a full council present to discuss the issue.
"It's like wearing a belt on one's pants that encourages us to keep keep fit rather than just wearing stretchy elastic pants while gorging. Instead of sprawling outside the waistline, the boundary encourages reinvestment like we see in the Brentwood village," he said.