Susan Blacklin writes in response to a letter published in a recent issue of Second Opinion QB and the subdivision proposed by Rick and Linda Todsen on QB’s “estate properties.”
In response to John Wood’s letter re the OCP for Qualicum Beach needing to be a dynamic document that stays true to what we all believe in. Who can disagree with that statement, not me! But I see a need to add and expand, that the OCP should also remain fair to everyone.
Selecting one property owner to be exempt from the OCP that governs their land, while telling other neighboring property owners they must still confirm to the OCP simply isn’t acceptable. IF the Town Mayor [Brian Wiese] insists on bulldozing his way through making this exemption for the Todsens [QB’s iconic estate properties to be replaced by subdivisions?] then I foresee the other estate property owners filing court cases that their properties should not be excluded from such development. And thereby lies the problem. Either amend the OCP for everyone affected equally or stop doing favours for select citizens.
In fairness though, I believe this situation was first created by our previous Mayor Teunis [Westbroek]. After all it was under his watch that Eaglecrest “cottages” were built. And the Todsens cleared their land expecting this development to receive the Council green light. Now, when is a 5,000 sq. ft. McMansion a cottage? I guess it is when Teunis calls it a cottage.
The Todsens’ proposal clearly states they intend to build 14 single family homes with ten of those having secondary suites. Anyone renting a suite in this location will require a vehicle, [because there is] no public transportation to speak of, [and it’s] too far to walk to town. This is not the ideal location to improve housing density.
Susan Blacklin
Dave and Joanna Golson write, “this email was sent to Qualicum Beach Council on September 28, 2020 requesting that any developments outside of our existing Urban Containment Boundary, as accepted by the community following our last OCP, be declined.”
Subject: World leaders pledge to halt Earth’s destruction ahead of UN summit, Qualicum Beach too!
Today our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was one of 60 government leaders of the United Nations to agree on efforts to save the earth from destruction from pollution, eliminate plastic waste in oceans, embrace climate change theories and several other big impact commitments including to continue efforts to reduce deforestation. The article attached above describes these agreements in more detail.
The town of Qualicum Beach’s Official Community Plan (OCP) embraced some of these principles, part of which includes provision of an urban containment boundary to provide a buffer between concentrated development areas and a rural protection area, where trees, watersheds and vegetation would be left to nature to control, rather than irrational development.
I therefore request that the Nenzel Rd Dreger development and considerations for development in the Estate Properties area be refused.
Our greatly appreciated rural profile will slowly disappear.
Please follow world leaders in minimizing development in forestry land and keep to our OCP as it stands, until the community has a chance to decide its future path.
Dave and Joanna Golson
Editor — A Public Hearing for the “Nenzel Rd Dreger development” is scheduled for October 14, 2020.