The public will have another opportunity to provide input into the large and controversial Kingsview Developments project in April.
North Cowichan will hold a public hearing on the project after council gave the first two readings on March 7 to a bylaw to adopt a phased-development agreement with the project’s proponent prior to the development of the lands beyond the first phase of the project, consisting of 68 lots.
Transtide Kingsview Development Ltd. is planning to construct up to 1,300 housing units on the side of Mount Tzouhalem, where the defunct Cliffs Over Maple Bay project was supposed to be constructed, in several phases during its expected 30 to 40-year phase-in.
Council gave the green light for the project to proceed last summer, but council’s approval was subject to registration of a covenant against the lands that requires the adoption of the phased-development agreement.
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A PDA is a legal mechanism under the Local Government Act used to provide certainty for a local government and a developer on the phasing and timing of a development.
Numerous concerns have been raised over the project since it was first proposed, including the fear that increased development in the area would lead to more damage to Quamichan Lake.
There have been at least four reported dog deaths around Quamichan Lake since 2016, and all are suspected to be caused by ingesting toxic blue-green algae from the lake.
A task force set up to study the problem concluded that the nutrients that are causing the algae outbreak in the lake are coming from a number of sources, including run off from nearby construction sites.
As part of the PDA, council decided on March 7 that storm and rain-water flow off the site which is related to the work performed by the developer will be monitored, during and subsequent to construction.
The run off will not be allowed to exceed the determined pre-development nutrient-level baseline, provided that such excess is not caused for reasons beyond the reasonable control of the developer.
The date, time and place of the public hearing will be announced at a later date.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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