Many residents of the Shelbourne Corridor, from Cedar Hill Cross Road to Feltham, are feeling very uneasy about all of the signs of proposed redevelopment that have been posted on that part of Shelbourne. By my calculations there could be an additional 1,000 residents if all of the projects are approved.
For some time people attempting to leave the parking lot where I live have had to wait a very long time to merge into the traffic. They have to rely on the good will of drivers to let them in. This is becoming more and more rare. Starting around 3 p.m., the line of vehicles waiting to make a left turn to go west on McKenzie can be two blocks long. I hate to imagine what this could be like in the future.
Then there is the concern about the confusion that construction creates.
When the bike lines were being put in on McKenzie from Cedar Hill to Shelbourne there was always assistance available to help people cross the work area. Where the new bank building is going up beside Tuscany Village the sidewalk on Shelbourne was broken up for plumbing purposes. This area is still unstable and very difficult for people to walk on (especially us oldies). The bus stop was moved “temporarily” half a block. The original stop had two trash barrels. The “temporary” stop has none. The result is litter, and an increase in the rat population. I hope that someone will reimburse The Kensington for the damage to their landscaping.
One of the proposed redevelopments at the corner of Shelbourne and McKenzie is naïve and ludicrous – 75 units with 20 parking stalls. The idea being that university students prefer to walk, bike or transit to UVic. That may be true but at night and on the weekends they want a vehicle. This will be a creation of a slum of the future.
Over the past 10 years I have attended at least three information meetings regarding the development of the Shelbourne Corridor. What was shown was where bike lanes would go, nothing was ever said about a ballooning population and years of havoc.
Please be very careful about what you approve. After all this is an election year.
Lynne Macaulay
Saanich
