The Sandown proposal came before North Saanich council in May 2011. It is an innovative and complex plan, to satisfy several diverse interests: those of the owner, the municipality, the Agricultural Land Commission (all of the Sandown lands are in the Agricultural Land Reserve) and the Regional Growth Strategy, in which North Saanich participates as required by provincial legislation.
North Saanich council recognized that early consultation with the public was essential. To that end we held two large town hall meetings in June and October to publicize the details and obtain input. We also had two well-advertised and well-attended Committee of the Whole meetings (September and December 2011) where residents were able to discuss all aspects of the proposal and staff was able to provide ongoing additional information requested by the public.
In November 2011 we received ALC approval with specific conditions. Our staff provided to council the projected costs for those conditions in January 2012.
All necessary land improvement costs will be financed from new tax revenue generated from the commercial component of the lands retained by the owner. Short term costs such as a phase two environmental assessment and an agrology plan will be paid from contributions by the owner and lease revenues.
It is clear that other expenditures can and will be phased in as the new tax revenues become available.
This information is addressed in the ongoing staff reports and is readily available on the district website, yet I continue to see statements from a few residents, and expressed at the council table, that our current tax base will be eroded or new capital debt incurred by accepting this proposal.
A great deal of passionate debate is fuelled by this completely wrong conception and distracts significantly from moving forward constructively.
This is unfair to the greater community, which supports the concept and understands the details, as expressed at the recent community-arranged forum attended by around 400 residents. It also ignores our staff’s responsive efforts to provide accurate information.
Alice Finall is the mayor of North Saanich.