The Chartwell Residents Association has changed its tune about the proposed Ravensbourne Lane Business Park development next to its neighbourhood — and the new song has a lot of strong language.
A few months ago, the association (CRA) was saying it does not oppose development, and even provided the proponent with a list of the types of businesses that the group believed would be workable.
That has apparently changed with the news that one of the three owners of the land in question said he is out of the process, while the spokesperson for the other two pracel owners said the development can still go ahead.
“One of the current owners is dropping out of the group’s application for a zoning change,” CRA president Tom Davies said in a news release. “Bob Colclough, the remaining owners’ representative, says the fact that one of the owners has dropped out, should not change anything. We disagree. We believe this is a game changer.”
What Davies is calling a “final” public information meeting is scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eaglecrest Golf Course clubhouse.
Last week, Davies said the CRA made representation to Mayor Teunis Westbroek, Coun. Mary Brouillette and Cou. Bill Luchtmeijer “where we stated that the current designation of rural residential for those properties should remain intact. Then, if the two remaining property owners wish to submit individual applications for rezoning, there would be nothing stopping them from doing just that.”
“It is time for this farce to come to an end,” Davies said in the news release. “We now understand that the remaining owners fully intend to develop the properties themselves. That being the case, there is no need to change the current designation.”
The issue has ignited heated debate at Qualicum Beach council in the past, with the mayor wanting to see specifics on the exact nature of what business would be going on the land, with other councillors insisting their job is to decide on the zoning for the land and businesses that conform should be permitted to operate.
