After attending the special council meeting regarding Couverdon Real Estate’s boundary extension proposal at the end of January, it seems like a lot of the opposition to the proposal comes from residents feeling like they don’t have enough information.
People have unanswered questions, and during that meeting, a number of people expressed a wish for Ladysmith council to slow down the process.
Couverdon, the real estate division of TimberWest Forest Corporation, has submitted an application to the Town of Ladysmith to extend the Town boundaries to include about 700 acres of TimberWest land northwest of Town.
Council agreed to proceed with the application and submit to the Province, and by proceeding with Couverdon’s application, council has initiated an Alternative Approval Process for the proposal (you can find information about the process in the ad on Page 4).
If the boundary extension is approved, the land would need to be re-zoned, and TimberWest has said if everything is approved, development would take place in stages over 30-40 years. That has led people to argue that if this is a long-term plan, there is time to get more people involved in the process, provide more information and conduct opinion surveys.
Questions raised at the recent meeting brought up important issues such as watershed protection, the effect this proposal will have on property taxes, and the Town’s ability to accommodate an increase in demand for sewer and water.
Hopefully some questions will be answered when Couverdon holds a drop-in open house Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 5-8:30 p.m. at Ladysmith Eagles Hall. If you have questions, concerns or comments, this is a great opportunity to hear directly from Couverdon about the boundary extension and plans for subsequent development and make your voice heard.
—Lindsay Chung
