A community garden in the heart of Central Saanich is a step closer to reality after the district council this week approved the rezoning of a residential lot to accommodate the plots.
Council voted unanimously to rezone a portion of 1233 Clarke Rd. to accommodate a 20-bed community garden proposed by the Central Saanich Community Garden Society.
Councillors approved the rezoning despite acknowledging there was significant opposition to the plan from residents in the immediate neighbourhood.
“It’s looking really good,” said Sander Eijgenraam, president of the Central Saanich Community Garden Society, noting the rezoning was expected to be the biggest hurdle.
The group, which still has to work out a lease with the district for the garden, intends to start fundraising and gathering materials with an eye on construction starting early in 2022.
“We want to be ready for the growing season in the spring,” he said.
The society has proposed a 20-bed garden with 16 raised beds, three accessible beds and a double-sized community bed with pathways throughout.
The plans call for the garden to be enclosed with deer fencing with finer mesh wire along the bottom to deter rabbits and rodent-proof compost bins.
According to a Central Saanich staff report, the society has addressed neighbour concerns about wildlife and rodents, parking, tidiness and the loss of green space.
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