[All] Another worrisome development, this time west of here...

[Michael F]

Hi Lulu and others in GREN,

The Melancthon mega-quarry, as proposed by billionaire Boston investor Seth
Klarman (through his Baupost Group hedge fund and Highland Companies shell
outfit), is one of a number of urban-development-related projects that sets
a new standard for egregiousness.  The Waterloo West Side and Kitchener's
Hidden Valley (and also the Doon-Strasburg area of SW Kitchener) are two
more examples of the extreme lengths that greedy already-rich investors are
going to, in order to get their way.

Here is another one that caught my attention.  This one is in BC, but the
man behind it, Ender Ilkay, is one of the now-mega-wealthy developers behind
the Toronto-area urban sprawl.  In brief, Ilkay bought forestry land west of
Victoria.  He paid just $2 million for 283 hectares (700 acres) in 2007.  This
works out to less than $3000 per acre, which is a steal.  This land was
originally designated as a buffer zone for the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park,
located west of Victoria.



To get around urban-expansion restrictions, Ilkay wants to build his new
settlement as a large resort-and-vacation-housing (257 houses, plus spa and
luxury resort) complex.  This would sit alongside one-third of the famous
47-kilometre Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.  The septic systems for such a
development would cause serious groundwater concerns, given the local
geology.  Meanwhile, the ecological concerns are too numerous too list in
detail.

The proposal violates the local Capital Regional District (CRD) Regional
Growth Strategy (RGS), in a number of ways.  The CRD-RGS states that growth
should be compact and focused on existing urban areas, that urban settlement
should be compact, and that natural resources and the environment should be
managed sustainably.  (The new Regional Sustainability Strategy, which is
due to be released soon, should emphasize environmental protection even
more.)



Essentially, what Ilkay wants to do is to create a completely new
settlement—a subdivision located far from existing urban centres, and one
that violates all the principles of sound planning practices and common
sense.  The project, like the proposed Melancthon mega-quarry, would be both
a planning disaster (e.g. completely car-dependent and unsustainable) and an
environmental nightmare (e.g. all sorts of rare species impacted).



And, like the subdivision developments that surround Waterloo and Kitchener,
Ilkay’s proposal needs to be evaluated in conjunction with all other
developments near it, both already-constructed and proposed.  The reason for
this is also spelled out in a description of how the CRD-RGS came to be: the
need to shift from growth to sustainability.  The same document notes that
“many wildlife species and natural habitats were threatened” by the current
ad-hoc approach of unplanned development.



The piecemeal approach to development seems to be just as common in BC as it
is right here in Ontario, and it explains many of our current problems.  Each
developer comes forth and gets their approval, with insufficient
consideration being given to how overall natural habitats and farmland and
groundwater-recharge areas are incrementally being whittled away.  Each
developer argues that their land only eats a tiny portion of the available
farmland/habitat/recharge area.  But it is the cumulative impact of
everything together that matters.


For those of you interested in submitting a letter to various BC Government
officials (including Premier Christy Clark) regarding this issue, there is a
link on the Sierra Club BC website.  You can personalize the suggested
letter, or write an entirely new one (as I did).  More background on Ilkay's
proposed project can be found by searching online, or you can e-mail me for
a list of links.

http://action.sierraclub.bc.ca/actions/protect-juan-de-fuca-park

Thank you,
Michael Frind.
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