We are pleased that the Oak Bay News has addressed the misleading impression given in their June 6 article with regard to The Clive development proposal.
Local residents have now reviewed four versions of this proposal.
On May 21, council asked the developer to amend the latest proposal to address the issues raised and the concerns documented by their own staff.
The proposal represents an almost total lack of compliance with zoning requirements, the parking bylaw and the Oak Bay Community Plan. The result would be inadequate setbacks on all sides of the building, lot coverage and floor area ratio in excess of the maximums, two apartments with well below the minimum permitted floor area, ignorance of the requirement for parking to be below ground and far fewer parking units than are required.
While there has been positive movement on the part of the developer since the first proposal, the changes have not addressed, to any great extent, the major amendments required to make this an acceptable and positive development for this community.
The latest proposal, with its lack of regard for local bylaws and the current OCP, would result in a building much too large for the lot in question, with the same issues that have been pointed out by residents and municipal staff since the project was first proposed in December 2012.
Such a large building would overwhelm the immediate area, provide inadequate green space, increase parking on nearby streets and increase traffic congestion at the already busy junction of Clive Drive and Oak Bay Avenue.
Let us hope the next proposed version for The Clive will be a great deal more considerate of the Oak Bay community and respectful of local laws.
Lance and Helga Traylen
Oak Bay