qathet Regional District’s (qRD) planning committee is recommending the regional board support a subdivision application for a large property in the Lang Creek area.
At the November 8 qRD planning meeting, the committee received a recommendation to advise the provincial ministry of transportation and infrastructure (MOTI) that qRD supports the proposed two-lot subdivision application for the 77.4 hectare (191 acre) property. According to a staff report, the intent of the subdivision is to divide the existing lot into two new parcels using Highway 101 as the boundary between the two proposed parcels.
The report stated that no development currently exists onsite and the applicant does not propose any new development at this time.
“According to the applicant, the subdivision is the first step of a multiphase development,” the staff report stated. “The applicant is currently planning and conceptualizing future development that will require further subdivision of the two proposed parcels.”
The applicant proposes two lots, with lot one on the south side of the highway, measuring 18.3 hectares (45.22 acres) in area, while proposed lot two on the north side of the highway would measure 55.1 hectares (136.16 acres) in area.
The regional district recommendation had a subject to its support for the application, which was that the applicant provides dedicated public access to the foreshore and a public parking area for users of Mahoods Beach.
Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander said it was straightforward and a simple subdivision, dividing the property along the natural barrier of the highway.
“I imagine that if more development happens in the future, more subdivision will occur and they will come back to us,” added Brander.
He said he had a question about public parking and wondered if there had been any discussion about the size of the parking area, or whether that was going to be negotiated.
Manager of planning services Laura Roddan said she thought it would be discussed at the time of the preliminary layout review that MOTI provides to the applicant.
“As they work through those conditions, MOTI would correspond with qRD staff,” added Roddan. “It’s well known how busy the site is and in the summer the parking fills the existing lot and goes up Weldwood Road, so the ministry is aware of that as well. Sufficient parking would need to be dedicated, but that will come later at the preliminary review stage.”
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said a portion of the lot is designated as institutional, and his understanding is that it is the site of a potential future fire hall for Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department. He asked if there had been any indication from the property owner to subdivide to work around that lot or provide it for the regional district.
“What’s the status of that portion of the parcel?” asked Gisborne.
Roddan said staff has had several meetings with the property owners and they are aware that institutional designation was identified as an area of interest for a future fire hall when replacement of the Malaspina fire hall is required.
“If there is a future subdivision of this property, that would trigger the negotiation of that parcel, along with park dedication,” said Roddan. “Those kinds of details would come with a larger subdivision. With this two-lot subdivision, it’s basic. There’s two very large lots and it doesn’t trigger the ability to negotiate those kinds of details yet.”
The planning committee voted unanimously to support the subdivision application.
