In his letter of Oct. 10, Ty West urges North Saanich to stop the building of Langford-style subdivisions at 9395 East Saanich/Canora Road.
The proposed four-acre subdivision will have a density of 10 lots/acre — 39 lots of 300 square meters minimum -— and single-family houses at prices starting from $400,000.
If North Saanich Council would allow multi-family housing at a density of 20 units/acre, housing would be affordable to families earning $40,000/year or less.
Moreover, the $40,000 benchmark is a projected average income for the Peninsula workforce. These houses will also be affordable to retirees living in 40-50+ year old houses on half-acre lots who want to downsize to more manageable lots. For those seniors who want to remain in single-family homes with a small garden, the development at 9395 East Saanich may be the only affordable option they will have.
In Sidney, single-family houses on a First Street development (density of 10 units/acre) are assessed at $621,000 to $732,000. At 9395 East Saanich, a house will cost considerably less.
Rebecca Vermeer
North Saanich