Shopping plaza, condo developments eyed near Treanor and Millstream
A first wave of potential new development in north Langford is moving through council after the City lifted a moratorium on property rezoning last December.
A developer is seeking to rezone two properties near the southwest corner of Treanor Avenue and Millstream Road to create a shopping complex with condominium units.
Across the street, the owner of the Loghouse Pub is seeking to rezone four parcels for mixed residential-commercial and an expanded parking lot.
North on Millstream Road near the Highlands border, developers are planning an business park.
The shopping plaza at 2326 and 2350 Millstream Rd. is envisioned as 15,000 square metres of ground-level commercial space and 96 units of condos above, either three or four storeys.
Mark Johnston, representing the property owners, said they are looking at relatively small commercial units appropriate for a grocery store and small retail businesses. Condo units would be part of the second phase of the development and dependent on market conditions.
The developer would also provide for new sidewalks and bike lanes in that stretch of Millstream Road.
Future commercial development around the Loghouse Pub is estimated as 929 square metres of ground floor space and would be limited to four storey buildings. The potential number of residential units has not been set. The pub also wants to expand its parking lot into a property on Belair Road.
Both property rezonings have raised concerns from neighbours regarding increased traffic to the area, which already faces significant vehicle volumes due to Millstream Village, large retail outlets and residential neighbourhoods. A resident on Belair Road voiced concern about the pub growing larger, noisier and drawing even more traffic.
“The main issue is traffic congestion in the neighbourhood. Something needs to be done,” said Russ Wilkins, who lives on Treanor Avenue, and noted that traffic flow often is bogged down trying to enter or exit the Co-op gas station.
Both developers must provide Langford traffic impact reports. Langford engineer Michelle Mahovlich said the City is working with the Ministry of Transportation to improve signal timing on Veterans Memorial Parkway, the Millstream interchange and on Millstream Road.
At 2097, 2089 and 2093 Millstream Rd., Turner Lane Development Corp. is seeking to create a business or light industrial park, although specific uses haven’t been determined.
Millstream Creek runs through the 15.5 acre property and would have a 30 metre buffer on either side, said Rachael Sansom of Turner Lane. About 30 per cent of the property would be protected under provincial streamside protection regulations, she said.
“Either side of the creek would be protected in perpetuity under guidance of a biologist,” Sansom said. “We can’t impact that creek with stormwater or development.”
These are the first rezoning applications in north Langford in about five years, besides the large Skirt Mountain development.
In 2007 council established a moratorium on development until the completion of the now-stalled Spencer interchange and Bear Mountain Parkway at the Trans-Canada Highway.
Council rescinded the moratorium in December to build a fund to help finance upgrades for improved traffic flow through the busy Millstream interchange, as it will remain the primary north-south connector into the foreseeable future.
For north Langford rezonings, developers are required to pay amenity contributions at the time of final zoning approval, not when building permits are issued.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
