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Developer donates land for Sooke park

'It's a very uncommon situation to be dedicating park back to a municipality'

Sooke is getting more parkland.

The developer of View Pointe Estates, realtor Michael Volk, is buying a land parcel approximately 2,100 square feet in size and giving it to the District of Sooke for a park.

“It’s a very uncommon situation to be dedicating park back to a municipality,” Volk spokesman Jared Steingard told Sooke council.

The land, located next to View Pointe Estates, would be ideal for a dog park, Steingard added.

“It seems to fit well with having open space [concept] with the park that’s already been dedicated,” he said.

Along with the 140 housing units being built at View Pointe Estates, which is located along Grant and Rudd roads, a sizeable park and trail system is being set aside on the land for people and wildlife to share.

RELATED: Park and trail system will form part of major housing development in Sooke

“The developer would like to donate lands to the district for a dog park area to complement the existing park area. The neighbourhood is in need of such a park and the developer has purchased this property for this reason,” Steingard said.

The land became available when a neighbouring developer didn’t need it for his project.

Volk plans to landscape the park by removing large rocks and debris, hydro seeding and planting a cedar hedge on the border with the residential property.

“We would like to turn it over as a complete and developed manner as possible,” Steingard said.

Council accepted to park donation, but with one caveat from Coun. Rick Kasper: “There should no perceived ideas that this is going to be or not be a dog park. It will be entirely up to council. We should approach this with a specific use.”

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