OMG, it’s another Bear Mountain!
Here’s my take on the “South Skirt Mountain Village” development outside of Victoria, plus details on the next public meeting and how to send your feedback to City Hall.

Developers are planning 2819 residential units (mostly apartments and
condos) on the 84-acre site straddling the Bear Mountain Parkway over the next fifteen years. The development spans the steep and rugged south slope of Skirt Mountain from Florence Lake west to Goldstream Provincial Park, and from Highway 1 all the way up to Bear Mountain Resort on top of the mountain.

The proposed new zoning for the mountain calls for high-rises and towers throughout – a few areas up to six stories, but most with no upper limit. One zoning proposal requests a single-family home designation for a small area west of the parkway, and a couple commercial zones are planned near the new interchange.

Clearing the forest could begin in a couple weeks or a couple years, depending on who you ask. Langford’s Planning and Zoning Committee discusses the application for this new “Comprehensive Mixed-Use Development” on Monday, January 26, 7 pm at Langford City Hall, and the City Council is holding a public hearing on the application at 7 pm on Monday, February 2 in its chambers. It is likely Langford will approve the zoning and development soon after, in accordance with its policy of fast-tracking permits.

The rich sunny forests on this hillside are dotted with rare groves of garry oaks, arbutus, and camas ecosystems. Skirt Mountain’s forests provide habitat for dozens of bird species, small herds of deer, and visiting bears and cougars.

Lovely watercolor drawings of boardwalks and arbutus trees were on display at the Open House on January 21, but the reality is full-scale mega-development, including condo towers in what is now steep ravines and near-vertical slopes. Massive blasting to level terraces and roadways across the mountain will be required to build these towers.
Wetlands on the mountain have already been filled with rock rubble, resulting in loss of habitat for birds, frogs, reptiles, native plants, and more.

There are no designated forests, parks, or green space on the map.
Instead, the term “open space” — a bit of newspeak the consultants apparently invented for this occasion – refers to areas without houses or roads. One consultant indicated that “open space” might include natural forests, while another asserted that it could mean a cinder-surfaced children’s playground or utility station.

In the center of the map, a small wetland is highlighted with blue and orange. The plans indicate it will be surrounded by roads and a boardwalk for the enjoyment of residents. The map doesn’t show that half of the wetland and its adjacent watercourses were filled with rock rubble and culverted last year. This devastated remnant of an ecosystem — and an attached community centre — are presented by the proud planners as the crown jewel of “South Skirt Mountain Village.”

No archaeology consultants or members of the Archeology Branch were on hand to address heritage issues, but a few councillors – Winnie Sifert and Lillian Szpak – drifted in and then left.

We were told some good news – apparently, a couple new members of Langford’s planning staff are eco-friendly and the chief planner is actually listening to them. Garry oaks on the mountain will be protected by covenant, according to Sue Blundell of Enkon Environmental. However, we could not find any reference to covenants or any tangible environmental protection in the planning documents.

The stormwater engineer would not answer questions about the severe flooding below Highway 1, and instead directed us to Dierdre Campbell.
Campbell is a public relations flack with Tartan Group, and is not, to our knowledge, experienced in engineering or construction. We decided not to ask her opinion of what to do about the flooding.

Another consultant told us “there is no karst” anywhere on South Skirt Mountain. Karst, the soluble and fragile limestone rock famous for cave formations, is well documented to the south, east, and north of the new development zone. Spaet Cave lies only a few meters north of the new development boundary, while Florence Lake Cave is less than a hundred meters to the east, and Langford Lake Cave a few hundred meters to the south. In the absence of any credible karst surveys, seismic tests, or experts visiting the site, we are not sure how Langford’s consultants arrived at their “no karst” assessment.

My assessment is that this development plan is completely unsuited to the site. Unlimited height towers and intensive residential developments belong in Langford’s core, not its fringes. Bringing infrastructure like bus service to this area will put a strain on existing resources. There is no sign that any consideration has been given to current residents, either the seniors in the mobile home park less than a hundred meters from the Echo Valley Road blast zone or the wildlife in the area. The stormwater management system the city built last year is already failing and dumping huge quantities of silt-choked runoff into Spencer’s Pond. The water plan doesn’t seem to take into account extreme weather like we had last month. The development will ruin a beautiful mountain, create a massive eyesore, and disrupt the quality of life for everyone living downhill.

Folks can let council know what they think at the planning meeting January 26 or the public hearing February 2 (both at 7 pm at Langford City Hall.) Even better, they can send their input on email or by phone.

Send feedback to:
dplouffe@cityoflangford.ca
Phone: (250) 474-6919
Fax: (250) 391-3436
Website:
http://www.cityoflangford.ca/departments.asp?Dept=Planning%20and%20Zoning

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ZoeBlunt@gmail.com