Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Lantzville to explain development decision in a letter to residents

The District of Lantzville is taking the unusual step of sending a letter to all residents explaining why a controversial plan for 250 homes on undeveloped land has won approval from a divided council. Lantzville Projects Ltd.

The District of Lantzville is taking the unusual step of sending a letter to all residents explaining why a controversial plan for 250 homes on undeveloped land has won approval from a divided council.

Lantzville Projects Ltd. received final approval in a 3-2 vote at council to rezone and make changes to the 2019 official community plan on what are known as the Clark-Medd properties.

The plan has been divisive. At issue is whether it complies with the vision set out in the revamped community plan, developed after residents expressed concern that their quiet, largely residential area was at risk of becoming too urbanized.

The new OCP sets out areas — including the Clark-Medd lands — for possible higher-density development. Opponents say this project goes too far. At risk, they say, is the community’s semi-rural character, quiet streets and small-town ambience — all goals listed in the OCP.

Prior to the council vote, the community of 3,600 saw a petition with 500-plus names against the project, protests outside city hall, online debates, and emails to council — for and against.

Lantzville has long been a bedroom community to Nanaimo, a community of 90,000 to the south, where housing demand is strong and construction is booming.

Clark-Medd proposal opponent Rachelle Mundell said the project is “too dense and we don’t get enough from it.” Its level of density will be “new to Lantzville,” said Mundell. “We want to be distinct from Nanaimo.”

Mundell, who lives on 0.8 of an acre and has neighbours with horses across the street, wants to see city hall follow criteria in the official community plan to preserve the area’s semi-rural character.

She said she is not against development and would like to receive water service to her home and other nearby homes, which are on wells.

Project advocates welcome its promise to build diverse housing types appealing to different needs, ages and budgets. Broadening the types of housing available is also part of the official community plan.

Coun. Will Geselbracht, who supported the project, said change is coming to the community. “This is a beautiful community. It has been for the last 100 or so years. It will continue to be a beautiful community. It’s changing. We put that off for 20 years and now the change is coming.”

The municipality is poised to receive more than $4 million in development cost charges to help pay for new infrastructure, said Mayor Mark Swain, who voted against the project because he believes it does not follow the official community plan.

Amenities offered by the developer include donating 10 acres as parkland to preserve the Bloods Creek riparian area, as well as five acres for a public works site, which would also have space for a ball diamond. Pedestrian links, a streets and trail network, and traffic calming are incorporated into the design,

The plan from Lantzville Projects, headed by president Peter Struk from the Lower Mainland, was scaled down recently from a 280-home plan.

A larger 730-home development called the Foothills is underway and is expected to eventually house 2,000 residents. The first stages have been completed and construction continues. It will include a mixed-use village and 900-acre park.

The letter about the Clark-Medd properties will be written by staff and then come to council.

Geselbracht won support for his letter idea from councillors Karen Proctor and Jamie Wilson, who also supported the development.

Swain and Coun. Ian Savage voted against the letter.

Geselbracht said the letter will describe how the project meets official community plan criteria set out for the Clark-Medd lands and how it aligns with the district’s strategic priorities, and will list amenities. A letter is needed because there has been public comment giving the impression council was not following the plan, he said.

Savage disagreed with Geselbracht, and maintains the project does not comply.

Swain told council that it is setting an “unusual precedent here with respect to sending a letter of this nature out to residents, especially following a contentious application.”

cjwilson@timescolonist.com