The public has had its say on what will become of the English Inn property on the south end of Lampson Street in Esquimalt. Now it’s up to township staff to craft a bylaw for final approval or rejection by council.
Upwards of 40 people attended a public hearing Monday on a zoning change proposal that would see the main Inn building declared heritage, protect certain gardens and trees, and allow subdivision of a larger piece of land to be used for intensive residential development. Speakers’ main concerns related to future parking and traffic in the area and the allowable height of any buildings on the potential residential lot.
Coun. Dave Hodgins said he didn’t really hear anything new about the proposal by current property owners LFC Lampson Holdings, who seek a zoning change to make the property more saleable. “I think the (LFC) tried their best to get out in the public and explain what their proposal was about,” he said.
The neighbourhood already contains a mix of uses, he added, such as Department of National Defence lands, apartment buildings and single family dwellings.
The proposal is expected to receive third and final reading by council at its Nov. 4 meeting.
ddescoteau@vicnews.com
