A group of West 麻豆精选 residents is ready to fight city hall over a multi-building apartment complex proposed for their neighbourhood.
Surrey-based Landvision Group wants to build five, four-storey buildings at 2741 Auburn Road, totalling 401 units.
Residents living in the Terravitta condos, which are next door and above the site, are concerned about traffic congestion, safety, and potential environmental impacts.
鈥淏y the city鈥檚 admission we are already in a failed traffic area,鈥� said Donalda Hunt, spokesperson for the group. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e adding four hundred units, which is approximately 800 cars, that still means we鈥檙e in a failed traffic area.鈥�
The areas she is referring to include Auburn Road, Daimler Drive, Old Okanagan Highway, Byland Road, and Highway 97.
A city staff report to council at its Sep. 26 meeting noted that 鈥渋ntersections in the area already experiencing near failing levels.鈥�
The report outlines road improvements including dual left turns from Daimler Dr. northbound to Highway 97, restricting through and left turn traffic from Old Okanagan Highway and Byland Rd., and a roundabout at Auburn Rd., and Daimler Dr.
Landvision Group is proposing a 50/50 cost-sharing arrangement with the city to pay for the improvements based on a preliminary estimate of $1.7 million.
鈥淭here are concerns with the cost-sharing proposal as a portion of the works are located outside of the city鈥檚 jurisdiction where improvements are not generally funded by the city,鈥� the report said.
The dual turn lanes and access control at Daimler Dr., Old Okanagan Highway, and Byland Rd. fall under provincial and Westbank First Nation jurisdiction.
Hunt added residents are also worried about their safety, and the safety of students at Const. Neil Bruce Middle School, located on Daimler Dr.
鈥淚鈥檝e had an experience where cars would not allow me to cross at a crosswalk. I don鈥檛 know how the kids do it on a daily basis.鈥�
A response from School District 23, included in the staff report, noted concerns about traffic, particularly on Daimler Dr., and the safety and convenience for students, staff, and visitors to the school.
Many Terravita residents avoid roads around the school during drop-off and pick-up times due to traffic congestion, Hunt added.
She also pointed out that a nearby industrial park also contributes to heavy truck traffic in the area.
ICBC statistics show that from 2020 to 2022 there were 59 crashes involving injuries on Daimler Dr. between Highway 97 and Auburn Rd.
Hunt was also shocked to learn that the developer鈥檚 proposal included an emergency access route to 2780 Auburn Rd.
鈥淚t鈥檚 at the end of our units and they鈥檙e saying that they鈥檙e going to be able to have access by getting a road onto our property at 2780 which is our last building before the fire exit.鈥�
The proposed building site consists of a steep hillside, trees, and sensitive terrain, which raises environmental concerns for residents after they had a study done on the area.
If the development were to proceed, Hunt said residents also worried about rock blasting into the hillside.
鈥淲e already have issues with our rock and we鈥檝e had to have our rock faces pinned. So blasting is scaring us a lot.鈥�
At the Sep. 26 council meeting, staff said that a geotechnical report noted that rock cuts could potentially leave unstable rock masses which would require additional work to stabilize.
鈥淚n conclusion, the report notes that from a geotechnical perspective, the site is generally well-suited for the proposed development.鈥�
Council has forwarded the project to a public hearing, and Hunt said her group and others will attend to make their concerns known.
鈥淲e鈥檙e dead set against this development,鈥� she added.
A date for the hearing is yet to be scheduled.
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