A new proposed residential development on Shawnigan Lake would see most of the 14 acres of the environmentally sensitive land dedicated to parks.
Trestle Estates, a land development company, has earmarked land around the west arm of the lake as protected parkland for the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
The agreement will see just one acre of the property retained by the developer for a residential lot, while 13 acres of undeveloped forested and riparian areas along the north and south sides of the west arm are to be dedicated for parkland.
“The forested lands at the head of Shawnigan Lake’s west arm are a major contributor to the lakes ecological health,” said Sonia Furstenau, the CVRD’s director for Shawnigan Lake.
“The effort by Trestle Estates to acquire these lands for dedication is a tremendous asset to the CVRD and the community.”
The residential lot will be located next to West Shawnigan Lake Road outside of the sensitive riparian area in the west arm.
A site assessment by Polster Environmental Services concluded that the residential lot will have minimum environmental impacts.
“We are pleased to be providing a development in our home community of Shawnigan Lake which will leave a legacy of park and protected areas for this and future generations,” said Craig Partridge, an owner of Trestle Estates.
“We appreciate the assistance of David Polster in selecting the site for the residential lot at the west arm, and will ensure his recommendations for the construction are carried out.”
A further 76 acres of wetlands and uplands will be transferred to the CVRD for park land by the developer as part of the Trestle Estates’ residential development underway further west on Renfrew Road.
These wetlands and the west arm of Shawnigan Lake are interconnected.