Questions abound on proposed Paldi development
Re: Major project planned for Paldi
For any long-term residents of the Cowichan Valley, the April 4, 2024 Citizen article “Major project planned for Paldi” reads like a déjà vu. We have seen that before in the early 1990s and again in the 2000s.
In the early ’90s there was a big sign out on Highway 18 proclaiming 550 new houses, a mall, a gas station etc. Today, the area is just scotch broom, piles of rubble and numerous court-ordered sales of the Paldi properties.
What has now suddenly changed? This proposed Paldi development is still facing the same issues as it has 30-plus years ago. Water and septic.
Interestingly enough in the same edition of the Citizen, one can find applications for dispositions of Crown land to bring water from a well some six kilometres away to the Paldi town site. This well is supposed to produce some 500 gallons per minute if one is to believe that. The proposed development boasts 355 residential units and commercial units as well. Not to mention that a good part of the property in question is quite wet and swampy half of the year. Not the most ideal area to build housing projects.
For anybody interested in investing their life savings into this, the pertinent questions are:
1. Has that 500 gal/min well actually been stress tested for year-round use to sustain 355 dwellings and the proposed commercial use?
2. Are there independent and reliable assessments that this drain on the watershed does not impact all or any of the other wells that people in the valley currently depend on? Will the developer compensate all the people in the area that might end up with dry wells?
3. The developer is to sign over the well, waterlines and the water treatment to the CVRD. Will the developer have a pre-paid bond assuring that the CVRD tax payers are not left stranded with incessant costs that may result from failures of this water system for this development?
4. What assurance is the developer providing that the water source is sufficient for the development? Is there a second source for water and is the developer providing for a pre-paid bond so that any such costs are covered and are not burdening the local tax payers?
5. The developer is quiet on the septic issues. The last 30 years many perc tests were done in the area to scout out suitable areas to deal with the septic. But no suitable area was found.
Any persons interested in pre-sale at this time should seriously ask those questions. It is caveat emptor season (Buyer beware).
Dr. Robert Maurus
Sahtlam