The owner of 6717 and 6723 Ayre Rd. is moving forward with plans to convert the property to a multi-family townhouse development from its existing residential use.
Sooke council held a public hearing Monday on the proposal. The applicant is Inspiration Island Homes, based in Sooke.
The property was recently considered a derelict property by the district.
The proposed .22-hectare development would replace two existing, uninhabited single-family houses with 10 townhouses.
Neighbour Brian Penner told council he was strongly opposed to the rezoning.
“There’s already traffic issues with the daycare. We don’t believe there would be enough parking. There’s an awful lot of ambulances that go down to Ayre Manor,” he said.
A study done on traffic volumes on the road found there were less than 30 vehicles per hour on Ayre Road.
“The maximum volume expected on a local road is 1,000 vehicles per hour. Therefore, Ayre Road currently operates at the low end of a local road,” said Watt Consulting Group in the study.
Council was also told the townhouse development would provide 15 parking spots.
The developer has also agreed to make a $5,000 donation to the district’s housing reserve fund in-lieu of providing an affordable housing unit.
Council is expected to make its final decision on the project at its July 10 meeting.
