A large housing development may finally be reaching paydirt after spending the last six years inching towards the goal line.
Woodsmere Holdings Corporation has submitted several development applications for its property at 825 Campbell Street since 2017.
The company first pitched 240 apartment units, 108 townhouses, 34 duplexes, 16 stand-alone single family homes and a 48-unit motel, but that plan was rejected by the town’s council, leading to several years of back and forth between the developer and the district.
Woodsmere’s latest application would see a 55-unit apartment building and 24 single-family lots built on the site.
Council gave tepid endorsement to the project in April, 2022, leading to a public hearing on June 13, 2023 where support for the project seemed to outweigh opposition.
District planner Peter Thicke opened the hearing explaining that seven written submissions were received with five in favour and two opposed.
Several speakers at the hearing raised concerns about the impact the development could have on the drainage in the area.
Resident Mike White said the surrounding area “a nightmare” during heavy rainfall.
“What we’re worried about more than anything is the drainage,” he said. “We want to make sure that, however they do this, they do the drainage properly.”
Resident Jack Gillie acknowledged he does not live in the immediate area, but expressed his support for the project.
“My position is more general, coming from what I think would be important for the whole community. I think this kind of development is very much what Tofino needs a lot of,” Gillie said. “Housing is very difficult to come by in this community and this satisfies what I think is a great need.”
Gillie also noted that vacation rental activity would be “prohibited explicitly.”
“I support particularly that aspect, but the whole thing in general,” he said.
Mike Hogan questioned whether the town currently has enough water capacity to accommodate so many housing units and wondered if somebody could purchase several units and put them up for rent at the highest price they could get.
Harold Sadler expressed support, but noted the development would need to be built responsibly.
“Provided things are done properly and that due diligence is paid to drainage and all these kinds of things,” he said. “I do think private development, private operation of rentals and private lots for sale is just a really, really good thing and we really need it. Find the water, get the drainage solved and ‘get ‘er done’ because boy does this town need it.”
Wayne Dolby said his main concerns are drainage and water supply, but that he’d support the project if those issues are handled properly.
He added that residents need housing and suggested some have knocked on his door asking if he has a room to rent.
“I also support the project because we do need more places to live,” he said.
Dolby also questioned why the development had taken so long to go through the process, noting the time between council’s endorsement in April, 2022, and the public hearing over a year later.
“Can’t things be sped up a little bit? We need places for people to live,” he said.
Andrew Sadler also expressed support for the project.
“For someone like myself, I grew up here and I’d love to establish Tofino as my long-term home as well. For me, the feasible real-estate opportunity is really what is important to me. Real-estate that is realistic to purchase as well,” he said. “I don’t have $1 million to spend on a huge property, I don’t know what’s going to be available or whatnot, but hopefully it’s going to be small enough lots to actually be affordable for somebody who has a reasonably low income.”
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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