Saanich council has adjourned until the end of the month a public hearing into a controversial townhouse development in the Swan Lake area.
Following a five-hour public hearing Tuesday that ended just after midnight, council voted to defer its discussions and deliberations on the proposed complex to Feb. 28.
The first public hearing Jan. 24 also had to be adjourned due to the number of people wanting to be heard.
Abstract Developments has proposed a 25-unit townhouse complex at the northeast corner of Rainbow Street and Sevenoaks Road, which would replace three single-family homes.
Many immediate neighbours are critical of the size of the project, which they claim threatens the character of the neighbourhood, would bring increased traffic and poses a threat to the nearby Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary.
Many of those pushing for the project emphasized the need for more housing units in a region dealing with a housing shortage and affordability issues.
Opponents said they are not against densification, but that the 25-unit project is too big for the neighbourhood and should be scaled down.
A report prepared by Saanich staff supports the development proposal with a number of conditions, including that the units be built to be solar-ready for photovoltaic or hot-water heating systems, that they include electric charge infrastructure in each garage, and that the developers provide $75,000 in community-amenity contributions to build sidewalks and crosswalks.
The continuation of the hearing means council cannot discuss the project until the hearing reconvenes.
The next hearing date has been set for 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in council chambers.
aduffy@timescolonist.com
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