Public Submissions - Z21-0043 (correspondence)

Public Submissions - Z21-0043 (correspondence)

From: Holly St.Cyr

Sent: March 8, 2022 1:10 PM
To: Langford Planning General Mailbox
Subject: Re: file Z21-0043 proposed subdivision of 936/942 Klahanie Drive

Good evening planning and zoning committee.
Laurent and Holly St.Cyr of 951 Klahanie Drive

Thank you for allowing us to voice our concerns regarding this proposal.
We would first like to say we are not wholly against the proposal. However, the concerns we have is that it is proposed for high density. We are still very rural and enjoy the feel of being so.
With the new development behind us, on Willing road area, we feel that Klahanie Drive/ Dicker road is not up to standards to carry more vehicle/pedestrian traffic, safely. With the proposed subdivision it will certainly bring more of both. If you are not familiar with the area/roads, we invite you to travel along the road . On any given day there is a lot of vehicle, industrial and personal, traffic, with no safety guards in place. We are happy to see families move to the area and enjoy what it has to offer. However, the safety of all should be in the forefront.
Another worry for us, the flooding that has gotten worse with each year.
With constant worry due to climate change, the ground water issue must be addressed thoroughly. This past winter with the atmospheric river our property not only flooded, as it does every winter, but it caused the sewer pump station, on the corner of Happy Valley road and Dicker road, to back up and over flow on to and into our field that runs parallel to Bilston creek. This needs to be addressed seriously prior to any further development in the area.
So in closing we are happy to welcome single family homes, single family homes with suites but not townhouses or duplexes.

Thank you for your attention,
Regards,
Laurent and Holly St.Cyr
951 Klahanie Drive, Victoria,B.C.

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From: Mike Turner

Sent: March 7, 2022 3:00 PM
To: Roger Wade; Mayor Young; Lanny Seaton; Matt Sahlstrom; Norma Stewart; Lillian Szpak; Langford Planning General Mailbox; Denise Blackwell
Cc: Matthew Baldwin; Michelle Mahovlich
Subject: 936 and 942 Klahanie

Hello,
I want to give feedback on the rezoning of 936 and 942 Klahanie. The rezoning is a proposed change from RR2 to R2 to allow 10 single family lots, two duplexes, and a townhouse site.

1. I strongly oppose the idea of adding both 10 single family lots and 2 duplexes and a townhouse site. I want to suggest approving rezoning to a zone type that allows for only single family dwellings, and remove the ability to add townhouses and duplexes. The reason for this is that the area and subject properties are primarily rural, bordered by a significant riparian zone (Pritchard Creek) and ALR land on the west and north sides that will likely never be subdivided further. Additionally, all of the recent developments in the Klahanie drive area have been single family developments, including Latoria Heights, and the new development on Frederic Drive- all single family homes with yards and suites. So in keeping with the feel and character of the neighbourhood which has both older (1980s era) and newer (2018-2022) single family housing developments, adding townhouses and duplexes in the middle of that, adjacent to rural ALR is disparate planning. It would be much more appropriate to have only single family homes with suites instead of going the townhouse and duplex route.

2. There needs to be significant road improvements on Klahanie and DIcker roads in order to accommodate this rezoning and the presumed increase in traffic. Klahanie is a rural, non-conforming road that went from being a quiet, country backroad, to now the main thoroughfare for the new Frederic development and Latoria heights, in order to get to Happy Valley road, without having to make a left turn off Klahanie onto Latoria, or Latoria onto Happy Valley. The traffic and speeds, and general use by construction tandem trucks far exceeds the capacity of the road. Additionally, the corner where Klahanie meets Dicker is a 90degree non-conforming curve that is dangerous and overused. Even as recently as Thursday, March 3, 2022, West Shore RCMP were there attending an accident as someone went too fast and could not navigate the curve and crashed. This is in the midst of fenced fields with horses grazing and ducks swimming in the flood plain areas of Pritchard and Bilston creeks. This new development, plus the coming extension of Gwendolyn drive into the new Olympic View development is going to further increase traffic on Klahanie and it is a road not equipped to handle this. While I think the intent of these rezoning assumes most traffic will exit the area via Klahanie to Latoria, in fact, a strong proportion of the traffic goes through Klahanie and Dicker in order to avoid going down Latoria. While I assume the rezoning and future development will require improvements adjacent to the subject properties themselves (bike lanes and sidewalks), given they are bordered by ALR properties on unsafe farm roads that won't be developed, I suggest any development require improvements from the subject properties westward along Klahanie and Dicker, by the ALR properties, to ensure safe and appropriate road capacity to Happy Valley. Anything short of this will simply result in the continued and unsafe use of Klahanie and Dicker, which bisect large ALR properties, as people drive from the area to meet Happy Valley road by the bridge for Bilston Creek.

3. Associated with the riparian area, and recognizing an assessment is still needed to determine the SPEA, I want to note there are two substantial douglas fir trees used by a breeding pair of bald eagles, that are more central to the properties, and likely not within the riparian buffer. I want to recommend they are retained and built around in any future development, not just removed for convenience. Having lived here I have seen and watched those

eagles use those trees for years on a daily basis, and recognizing the pending massive clearcutting that will take place less than 1km away in the Olympic View development, these trees of significance, and regular use by eagles and other birds (I have a great photo of a great horned owl sitting in one) need to be retained. I would go as far to say they are assets to a future development and would likely be seen as natural centrepieces of a neighbourhood.

5. The property bordering the east side of 936 Klahanie (925Klahanie) is currently operated as a metal recycling operation and horse stables. Again, this makes any future development on 942 and 936 taking place directly in between a large ALR property used for horses and horse lessons on the West border, and a metal recycling/horse stable on the East border. There needs to be some attempt to integrate into the character of this neighbourhood and actually have Langford put its money where its mouth is around it's outdated and intentionally shelved local agricultural priorities.

6. While I understand this is a rezoning only, and not a development permit, I know most of my comments are focused on the eventual development, not the rezoning itself, but given this, they are all relevant to the future of these sites. I would also note that this rezoning appears premature as there does not seem to be any details around a development plan, location, sizing, scale, improvements, developer, etc. available. To me this seems like an opportunistic attempt to rezone in advance of the inevitable loss of pro‐development councillors come election 2022.

For context and credibility, I live at 801 Stanehill Place, which has a large frontage on Klahanie and is one property separated from the subject properties, and I

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Thank you,
Mike Turner

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