Say NO to the RA000454 Rezoning Application - Nanaimo, BC

This Neighbourhood Says NO Thank You to rezoning to Multi Family Housing Rezoning Application No. RA000454 for 5485 and 5495 Godfrey Road, Nanaimo.

Developers Harry and Tammy Law have hired consultant Scott Mack of Townsite Planning to take them through the rezoning process of their home lot at 5485 and the adjacent lot of 5495. They submitted an application (RA000454) to create a ten unit town home project. The sites are located right at the Godfrey Road and Grace Place round-about intersection.

In order to do this, they must rezone two properties from Single Family Residence R1 to Multi Family R6. And they have informed us in their letter to announce the Neighbourhood meeting that we have this option – the rezoning or they will do the same just through getting a variance. They think it is better for us to go with the townhouses. We think it is best that we see Single Family homes out our windows.

We appreciate the process made available to us by our local government who is serving we the people here. And we trust that they will take our concerns into account when making the recommendations on which path to take to the City Council.

This development is not in the best interest of the people of this area who wish to live their lives here and these are some reasons why and comments will be added below.

This is an established neighbourhood. The properties requesting subdivsion are in the middle of an established R1 Neighbourhood.

The people who bought and live here have a personal stake in what occurs, they made their choices about where to live and what type of area and chose this neighbourhood. They invested their money, time, energy and effort. They made their homes and live their lives under the agreement of Single Family Residential neighbourhood.

The proposed townhouses do not look like anything around here. They are very sterile, modern and commercial looking. This type of development belongs near a commercial center or in a new construction area.

Many people have their forever home here. If the application is approved now the view and ambiance of the neighbourhood is going to change, not because someone wants to add a carriage house or an addition, but because a few people want to make a quick profit and forever change the nature of this community.

This is an unnecessary step in the wrong direction and will be a negative change and set a dangerous precedent for the future of this community.

These developers seek to change the nature of the neighbourhood.

We would not want to limit ourselves needlessly however this development really brings the issue up, because once it starts is it just going to be one after the other until all the lots are subdivided down into the smallest possible units. Is that a healthy community? Who wants that for us? Do we just keep selling and moving and selling and moving. Eventually, where do we move to? And there is a huge cost in peoples time and energy to constantly move away from situations they prefer not to be in.

Many people felt existential threat when the development sign appeared that now they would have to move.

The Developers said in a comment that they are doing the very best for our neighbourhood. We say the best thing it to keep it like it is. Want to build a new home and take down the old one, great. Want to add an addition, garage or carriage house, great. Want to build a commercial strip mall looking development. Not so great.

Who really bears the long term hidden costs of their for profit venture?

And let talk about personal investment. It is highly unlikely that the people gaining profit from this development will actually live on site during construction or in one of these units for any length of time afterwards. Therefore having no personal stake in the undesirable changes to occur if this proposal is approved. So while construction is going on, they will be elsewhere out of the dust and constant noise and commotion of the job site.

We will not be out of the way. Instead we will have our peace disturbed for maybe a couple years during the construction. Hammering, vibration and noise all the time. A lot of extra house cleaning with the dirt, dust and mud. Construction vehicles, heavy equipment and more.

And then there is the vegetation eye sore. All the old bushes and trees will be removed and it will be years until the new landscaping grows up.

While they make the profit, our lives are imposed on for no return on our investment, our lost rest and peace.

Increase Congestion. Then we will have the congestion as they fit 20 cars and 10 units into two lots including all those people and their pets and extras. Where are they going to fit visitor parking space for dumpsters and all that? There won’t be much room with the sidewalks for extra parking. This is going to end up like the situation on Swordfern going onto Extension. There is so little space there, the streets are piled with cars resulting in only one derivable lane and you have to watch to not hit mirrors.

Godfrey is already a very busy street. We want a neighbourhood that our kids can bike around with out fear. This entrance to this subdivision is right at the bottom of the Godfrey Rd hill and the kids have to be skilled enough to stop and screeches are common. Having cars come in and out at this location will be dangerous for our kids and people walking.

This is not tearing out old junk to make an area new. It is one thing if a development comes in to rehabilitate an area. If the houses were in a very sad state of repair. A new development can turn that around.

This isn’t that situation. This proposed development would tear down or remove two homes. On very nice home that they just spent years diligently redesigning and expanding on and a very well maintained manufactured home. Tearing down the nicest house is normally backwards.

And please note that this also effectively evicts a family for the sake of the development.

The neighbourhood has treated Harry and Tammy Law well. They did not contest their recent requests for variance. It is our Wish that they take into consideration that they are making a change that Does Impact the nature and quality of Our Lives.

We recognize the City must be responsible and make decisions on how to grow our town. Please take our concerns into consideration when evaluating this project.

Thank you