Private: Updates

For the second time, the District of Central Saanich’s ill-conceived plans to expropriate privately owned land on Hovey Road faces another financial hurtle. In both cases, the challenges have been launched by land’s previous owner, Park Place Seniors Living. In the first instance, Park Place successfully challenged the purchase price of $3.1 million that the […]

In August, a resident of Central Saanich submitted an official Freedom of Information request to the District for a copy of the Kasian report which, according to staff, was the basis for deeming the current municipal building on Mount Newton Road inadequate. The District responded to the resident by sending him the 139 page report. […]

After repeatedly denying requests to view the secret Kasian report which, according to staff was the basis for deeming the current municipal building on Mount Newton Road inadequate, a formal Freedom of Information request for the report was sent to the District. A few weeks later an electronic reply from the District was received. By […]

To promote its plan of building a new municipal complex on secretly expropriate Hovey Road property, the District sponsored 3 public viewing events. At each viewing there was significant public opposition to the plan. Concerns included costs, road safety, traffic congestion and emergency vehicle proximity to the highly utilized Centennial Park play fields and a […]

Central Saanich councilors have refused to comment or discuss a secret report commissioned by the District that, according to them, was the basis of determining that the current municipal building on Mount Newton Road was inadequate and that a new multi-story municipal complex was needed. Supporting their silence, they cited provincial Community Charter legislation that […]

On April 12th, 2024, the District of Central Saanich announced that it had initiated expropriation procedures to acquire privately owned property on Hovey Road, adjacent to Centennial Park. Unlike typical expropriations in which government bodies take possession of land to make way for roads or other critical right-of-way infrastructure, the District decided it wanted the […]

The District hired Vancouver’s Kasian Architecture to undertake a facilities feasibility study. The study’s terms of reference included the redevelopment of the District’s 1903 Mt. Newton property AND the construction of new municipal facilities at a then privately-own property on Hovey Road. The terms of reference for both properties included 6 story buildings. Kasian committed […]

The Saanichton Village Design Guidelines report focuses ostensibly on the Saanichton triangle (bounded by Wallace Drive, East Saanich Road and Mt Newton X Road) and the land where the current municipal hall sits at 1903 Mt. Newton Road. Within the very narrow confines of the triangle, the design proposes high density housing, increased retail storefronts, […]

Since 2017, the District has imposed a property tax levy that has been used been credited to a reserves fund (savings account) to support capital projects such as improvements and upgrades to the municipal hall and municipal yard.    

The District retains Levelton Consulting to develop a facility asset management plan for 46 District owned buildings. Levelton submitted their report in June of 2015, concentrating on 11 buildings including those dealing with municipal government, emergency services, public works and community development. The report DOES NOT recommend replacement of the municipal hall. Rather, it recommends […]