The emotionally charged debate over the proposed Victoria International Marina appears to have finally ended last week. The city council of Victoria, British Columbia voted to permit a 40-percent-smaller development plan.
To understand how things got to this point, a little history is in order. The local government, with the approval of British Columbian and Canadian government officials, set aside the location several years ago. It’s on the Songhees waterfront, on the north side of Victoria Harbour. A developer, WAM Development Group, proposed transforming the site to feature 54 slips for yachts from 65 to 135 feet, with most for megayachts, along with amenities like a restaurant and yacht club. However, Victoria International Marina was put on hold in April after public outcry and subsequent city opposition. Residents expressed safety concerns for kayakers and small-boat owners. Some even complained that superyachts would pollute the water. They were additionally upset that buildings would block existing condo residents’ views of the harbor. As for the city, even with federal and provincial government approval of the marina plan, the Victoria City Council still had power over whether or not WAM Development Group could receive a development permit. The city claimed it held riparian rights to an adjacent park where boat access would be limited by the marina.
Several public hearings have been held over the last few months. At one last week, in which most speakers were against the project, the city council voted unanimously to rezone the waterfront lot and therefore reduce the marina’s size. WAM Development Group will now need to revise its design, though it’s expected that 26 to 28 slips, versus the original 52, will be available. “It’s obviously had a negative impact on the bottom line of the project, but we’ll make the most of what we’ve got there,” Lachlan MacLean, a spokesman for the developer, was quoted as saying by the Vancouver Sun.
Interesting enough, some of the anger aired during the hearing was directed at government officials. Council member John Luton was reported to be critical of the provincial and federal governments for failing to solicit public commentary before approving the plans.
WAM Development Group is still awaiting permit approval for the buildings it wishes to construct. Judging from MacLean’s statements to the media, however, it does not appear to be facing many obstacles.
UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2010: British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations has approved the lease for the seabed where the docks are slated to be built. Furthermore, the mayor and city council of Victoria approved the development permit for the two marina buildings to be constructed on land. The federal government still needs to grant final approval, however.
The property developer does not anticipate the federal government blocking the project, however, and has already begun taking reservations for slips. The approved number of slips is just 29, though they still will accommodate yachts from 65 to 150 feet LOA.
UPDATE, OCTOBER 12, 2012: Transport Canada has given final approval to the marina to be developed. The maximum LOA that can be accommodated will be 148 feet (45 meters). The marina also includes a route where kayakers can paddle safely. CBC News quotes the federal agency as saying WAM Development Group has a safety-management plan with an “acceptable” level of risk for all water traffic.
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