DocumentsCorrespondenceNov 2, 2020Pages 16–18
Re: Rezoning Bylaw Amendment for 2627 Sooke Rd (Z19-0023) - Concerns regarding this application (duplicate copy)
A second/duplicate copy of the resident submission raising the same concerns about the rezoning application for 2627 Sooke Road, including traffic, parking, and building height issues.
Key facts
- Subject/property: Rezoning Bylaw Amendment for 2627 Sooke Rd (Z19-0023)
- Repeats objections to Southglen Drive access and increased traffic
- Repeats parking calculation (1.25 stalls/unit → 112.5 stalls for 90 units) and concerns about insufficient parking
- Questions appropriateness of a six-storey building given Appendix O guidance
Re: Rezoning Bylaw Amendment for 2627 Sooke Rd (Z19-0023)
Alderglen Pl
Langford BC
Concerns regarding this application
Why does the proposed new building need to exit onto Southglen at all? There are many buildings that have right-turn only rules all over this province. Residents/visitors simply must take a slightly different route. For example, coming up Glen Lake Road to Sooke Road.
A parking exit on to Southglen will destroy this family centered area. This is a family neighbourhood with children often playing & cycling in the streets of Alderglen, Southglen and both Ernhills. This is also the route children walk to get to Happy Valley Elementary and Belmont Secondary or to catch the school bus to John Stubbs, Spencer, Dunsmuir, or Royal Bay schools.
- Currently there is little infrastructure, including: few streetlights, no sidewalks, soft shoulders, no parking/parking controls.
- In poor winter weather, the switchback hill of Ernhill Drive is not well maintained, and vehicles often have difficulty with it (including those with snow tires). There will be increased risks with more traffic on this hill.
Currently there are approximately 58 residences on the streets (with an additional 5 or so being built at the end of Ernhill Dr). That is already 58 households, soon to be 63, using Ernhill Dr as an exit. Most households here have 2 cars (some even more). That means approximately 138 cars/day use Ernhill. This development will DOUBLE the amount of traffic at ANY given time on these streets, not just peak hours.
Any visitors for Ernhill Place already must park on Ernhill Dr & Southglen. Most likely this will be the same for the 5 new homes being built. There is already frequent parking congestion along the sides of the roads.
The requested bylaw amendment would be to take the parking down from 2.25 parking stalls/unit to 1.25 parking stalls/unit. This will equal 112.5 cars for 90 units. Let’s be honest, if there are 2 adults living in a 1-bed unit, there is a good chance there will be 2 cars/unit and not just 1 which would mean the potential addition of another 67 vehicles on top of the 112. If we split the difference and take just 30 of those vehicles, that is adding an extra car for every other house on Alderglen, Southglen, and both Ernhill Dr & Pl. Where will they park? That’s not even including any visitors or commercial parking.
This bylaw change will negatively affect the value of homes on these streets with the increased traffic and parking congestion.
Why would the City of Langford be willing to zone this address as C9 when the current infrastructure of the existing neighborhood cannot cope with the added traffic?
Next, looking at the document entitled Design Guidelines and Development Permit Areas developed by the City of Langford, Appendix O, I would like to discuss a few items. Appendix O is specifically about the Jacklin/Sooke Road Comprehensive Development Area Design.
Firstly, under the section entitled Justification we find the following statement:
The justification of this designation is to ensure that Council has the ability to secure the necessary information and establish conditions on developments such that the form and character of new commercial and multi-family residential development are of a high quality, and best suited to both the surrounding properties and the vision of Langford as expressed in the Langford Plan. (Appendix O, pg O1)
I can see how the frontage of this building suits the vision of Langford, however, I fail to see how increasing the traffic and parking congestion through the Alderglen/Southglen/Ernhill neighbourhood is best suited to the surrounding properties.
Secondly, under section O1 Site Organization, subsection Guidelines we find the following:
The siting and massing of new commercial buildings on this site should be massed in a manner that is sympathetic to the local context. Buildings over four stories are not considered appropriate; (Appendix O, pg o2)
If buildings over four stories are not considered appropriate, why is council considering a building proposal that is six stories in height?
Thank you for your consideration,
Alderglen Pl