Residents of Central Saanich will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the municipality’s proposed town hall project this weekend.
Residents were mailed information on the project last week and will now have a chance to give their opinions on the potential multi-million dollar redevelopment plan for the municipal complex on Mount Newton Cross Road.
According to the municipality, they have engaged in a comprehensive facilities planning process which indicated that the existing municipal complex needs to be replaced or renovated due to health and safety concerns. The building, housing municipal, police and fire services also has a critical lack of space for some departments they say.
Faced with the need for improved facilities, council decided to pursue new construction as the most cost-effective solution in 2009. Since then, the municipality has been working with a local architecture firm on space planning and conceptual design for a separate administrative and police building. Construction on a new satellite fire station on Keating X Road has already begun.
The town hall project team hosted an open house in the summer of 2011 but say they now want to make sure that the path they are choosing ensures future phases of work reflect community directions and priorities.
The community engagement program will provide opportunities for public input, including online tools available through the project website and two community meetings.
“Community involvement is critical to the success of the town hall project and I encourage Central Saanich residents to engage in the process,” said Mayor Alastair Bryson.
The first community meeting will be held Saturday, Oct. 13 at the fire hall training room of the municipal complex (1903 Mount Newton X Rd.) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The meeting will include an open house display along with presentations from the project team. A brief question and answer period will follow as well as guided tours of the municipal complex to help familiarize attendees with the existing facilities and some of the building condition challenges.
For more information on the municipality’s project and the community engagement program, visit the project website by going to www.centralsaanich.ca and clicking on the Town Hall Project quick link.
— With files from Central Saanich