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The Capital
Regional District board has delayed a decision on whether to cough
up $3 million to help acquire 1,375 hectares of parkland in the
Sooke Hills.
The board adjourned a closed-door meeting Wednesday for a week,
after Sooke Mayor Ed Macgregor raised concerns about lack of input
on the purchase from his municipality.
At issue is whether the CRD should chip in to help the Land Conservancy
of B.C. acquire the privately owned Seraphim lands for $5.3 million
to expand the Sooke Hills regional wilderness park. The conservation
group, which has raised $450,000 from public donations, hopes to
raise the balance, about $2 million, from the federal government
before turning over the land to the regional district for a park.
But before the discussion moved in camera, Macgregor told the board
Sooke had had no say on the plan for the property, more than half
of which falls within the municipality. The CRD parks master plan,
approved a year ago, identified the Seraphim lands, the last major
chunk of land yet to be protected in a proposed sea-to-sea park,
as highly desirable for purchase.
However, Macgregor said no one from CRD Parks consulted with Sooke,
which became a municipality only a year ago.
"The implications for the district of Sooke is that without some
involvement in the process we're essentially forgoing an opportunity,"
Macgregor told the board.
A total of 769 hectares of the proposed parkland is designated in
Sooke's local area plan for development of two-hectare rural residential
lots, he said.
"I would suggest to you there is no municipality sitting around
this table who is going to be prepared to give up 1,900 acres without
having some say about it."
Bill Turner, TLC's executive director, said he couldn't understand
Macgregor's position. Sooke has everything to gain from having the
biggest park in the region at its doorstep, he said. "It should
have a very positive impact on proprty values."
Acquisition of the Sooke Hills property has the support of "thousands"
of resident in the region, Turner said. "In the last week alone,
$27,000 has been donated for the land.
Turner emphasized that the land will be managed by the CRD, which
stands to gain $5.3 million worth of real estate for $3 million.
Macgregor urged the CRD to make some provision for off-highway vehicles
in the area. "Surely to heavens we can accommodate that kind of
use."
His remarks followed presentations to the CRD from four-wheel drive
users who are opposed to the Seraphim lands being acquired by the
TLC. While the conservancy group would turn over the property to
the regional district it would only do so after putting a legal
covenant on the land that would not permit recreational off-road
vehicle use.
"With the TLC being the purchaser of this land there will be absolutely
no opportunity for public input of any kind (as to its use)," said
Lori Hryniuk, of the Island ROck Crawlers, a four-wheel drive club
with 65 members.
Turner said four-wheel drive vehicle use in the area and adjacent
parks is illegal, so putting the land into parks status "is not
taking away any existing rights" as recreational off-road users
suggest.
Ellen Lewers, who runs a bed-and-breakfast in Sooke, said turning
the land into park would result in loss of revenue for Sooke. The
off-road vehicle users pumped $72,000 into the community last year,
she said, while the proposed park would attract only hikers who
bring "sandwiches in their knapsacks" rather than spending money.
But the proposed acquisition was strongly backed by conservation
and tourism groups.
"I do believe this is really a motherhood issue," said Melissa McLean,
opeations director of Tourism Victoria. "The scenic beauty of this
community is the key to our success as an industry."
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