Parking and a traffic study were among the chief concerns of Central Saanich council as they discussed the proposed new Co-op grocery store.
Council passed several motions that will allow it to consider amending the official community plan to allow for the creation of another urban containment area in the Official Community Plan and to change the land use designation from rural to arterial commercial.
District Director of Planning of Building Services, Hope Burns explained that this is a significant development application with “major land use designation implications”.
When the official community plan was reviewed in 2007-2008, the intersection of West Saanich and Keating X roads were discussed and council of the day did not support changing the urban containment boundary or land use designations.
In order for the proposal to proceed, amendments must be made to the Regional Growth Strategy, Regional Context Statement and Official Community Plan, along with rezoning, and development permit and development variance permit and subdivision processes.
“Creating a new commercial retail area outside of the established village centres before those areas are totally developed, vibrant and stabilized may also create economic concern for existing businesses appropriately located in the designated commercial core areas,” said Burns. “Approval of this development could be construed as endorsing urban sprawl totally dependent upon car travel and located too far away from a concentrated residential density to allow for any pedestrian accessibility.”
The plan has been seen by the Advisory Planning Commission which did not feel it would be appropriate for the official community plan to be amended to accommodate the proposal.
“A commercial impact study, on Brentwood businesses, was done for our first application, and that study came to the exact opposite conclusion,” said Co-op board member Gordon Denford. “It was stated that moving the store closer to Brentwood village from where it is currently located, more customers will be inclined to shop in the village to pick up other items.”
Addressing the district’s stand on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Denford said: “I think this is a highly questionable conclusion because shoppers drive cars even short distances to buy their week’s groceries. Very few walk because of the sheer quantity they buy at the time they go. There are a number who shop at our present location and now drive to Saanichton to pick up items that we do not have the space to stock.”
“A new store at the intersection of two arterial roads such as West Saanich and Keating X roads, much closer to the village and its surrounding residential will likely shorten overall vehicle trips,” he added.
Mayor Jack Mar noted that the number of parking spaces required is more than shown on the plan. The plan also leaves less space for individual vehicles — another problem noted by Mar.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but lots of people here drive big trucks,” said Mar.
Councillor Adam Olsen noted storm water issues that need to be addressed along with the need for a full, up-to-date traffic study and environmental study. “In my opinion we’ve got a partial application here … I don’t think this application is anywhere near ready for a public hearing,” Olsen said.
“If it’s the will of council today to move this forward, then so be it,” said councillor Terry Siklenka. “In the past history it’s gone back and forth …the store is too small. The refrigeration equipment in there, though well-maintained, is old technology compared to what they could have today, so there is energy conservation in new stores that could take place.”
The motions will have to be ratified by Central Saanich council. The plan should come back to a council meeting prior to going to a public hearing.
The application will require referral to the Capital Regional District for approval of amendments to the Regional Context Statement in the Official Community Plan and amending the land use designation and extension of the Regional Urban Containment and Servicing Policy Area (RUCSPA) in the CRD’s Regional Growth Strategy and the urban settlement area in the district’s Official Community Plan to allow it to be approved.