A proposed swap of commercial and residential zoning for Crown Isle lands north of Ryan Road has residents concerned about noise renewing the call for a berm behind Costco.
After hearing from two couples who are worried about more commercial development near their homes after going through the Costco construction, council gave third reading Monday to bylaws that would adjust the zoning boundaries for Crown Isle lands behind the Nissan dealership on Ryan Road.
The proposal from Silver Sand Land Corporation would transfer 3.4 hectares of commercial land from along Ryan Road and near Mission Road to a more central area. There is no change in the amount of commercial land.
The lands along Ryan Road and near Mission Road would go from commercial zoning to mixed use residential, which allows a mix of housing types.
Shelly Lesperance-Farndon and Doug Farndon, who live on Elderberry Crescent, spoke against the changes during Monday's public hearing.
"We ask city council to deny the changes to the zoning and OCP bylaws until the planning department is in receipt of a building permit to know what is going to be built on this site," said Lesperance-Farndon.
Lesperance-Farndon asked council to use the Costco development as an example.
"We, the homeowners, have been totally walked on and taken advantage of," she said. "Our peace and quiet and quality of life has been destroyed."
She told council the noise attenuation fence put up by Costco does not work, and she asked council to again consider a creating a berm and planting mature trees behind their home to filter the noise and block the store from their view, suggesting council use the berm and trees as a bargaining chip with Crown Isle.
After telling councillors he and his wife had to move out of their master bedroom because the noise from Costco is so loud, Farndon implored council to "please make this right for us."
"Assuming Crown Isle will get what they want, would it be so much to ask to have them put a berm behind our homes in return?" he said. "We're talking about a few truckloads of dirt."
Lesley and David Paul of Salal Place told council how they have been affected by the construction of Costco and suggested council should look to increase the greenspace between the residences and the commercial areas.
"What we were told would be a significant building has turned out to be a monster in our backyard," said David. "There needs to be a better consideration for the green zones that we currently have, to maintain them, keep them and possibly expand them to better keep commercial areas away from residential areas."
Richard Cook, a planner representing Silver Sand Land Corporation, did not address residents' concerns during the public hearing, but he said the company looks forward to working with the neighbours, as it has in the past.
He emphasized that the proposal does not increase the commercial lands.
"This rezoning is simply no change in use, no change in density," said Cook. "The issues that have been raised by the folks tonight can certainly be dealt with in the development permit form and character stage."
Coun. Doug Hillian was the only councillor to vote against the changes, and he wondered why Crown Isle could not go ahead and build the berm residents are asking for.
Coun. Murray Presley pointed out that when somebody applies for a development permit to develop something on the property between Costco and Edlerberry Crescent, council could insist they put in a berm as part of the development permit process.
"From my point of view, I would not support it unless a berm or something else is built to satisfy the neighbours," he said.
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