Volume 77 Issue No.17 TheReview Wednesday, April 24,1991 — A6 New school site: Finally looking good The province’s Agricultural Land Commission threw the new middle school ball back into the Peninsula court last week when it decided land known as the Brentwood Gardens property can be excluded from the agricultural land reserve to allow the construction of a replacement for Mt. Newton Middle School. Getting that decision was a giant hurdle crossed by the Saanich School District. Now, actions by three parties will determie whether a school is actually built there. But the situation appears to be more positive than any other time during the last four years. A spokesman for the Parents for the Safety and Replace- ment of Mt. Newton Middle School said: “We’re really happy with the decision. Someone finally had some compassion.”’ At Brentwood School the other moming, students and parents celebrated. But there are still the Doubting Thomases. The group’s concer is now with Central Saanich council, which has the ability to approve or reject subdivision of the 15-acre property into a 12-acre institutional parcel for the school, a 60-foot wide road allowance and a 122-foot wide privately-owned strip of land zoned agriculture. The school board is also concerned about council’s reception to the upcoming request for subdivision and rezoning. Board chairman Graham Hill said Tuesday the whole issue “hinges on what council does.”’ The board is waiting to hear from council, with an intention to set up a meeting and finalize plans. “Tf they just say “Yes, you can build a school’ we’ye got a problem,” Hill said. The land is still owned by Brentwood Gardens Inc. and the deal actually hinges on a final sale agreement being signed. Essentially, Brentwood Gardens won’t sell the strip of land on the north side of the property (between adjacent Marin Park Drive-Shiner Place homes and the road allowance), although the company realizes it will be many years, if ever, before rezoning to residential will be entertained. School district sources said the company is satisfied to leave current zoning on the strip. It also agreed to land commission restrictions that the road allowance end in a cul-de-sac about 50 feet short of accessing farmland it owns east of the school Site. Where the road allowance is situated is germane to the issue. Luckily, the land commission dealt with that question in its decision, Central Saanich Mayor Ted Jones said Tuesday. “The school board has to complete negotiations with Brentwood Gardens for the site as approved by the land commission,” Jones said. The land commission, in its decision, “was of the opinion that the exclusion of this area would allow for school development, roads and any other uses deemed appropriate by the District of Central Saanich.” The issue is not completely resolved yet, but it is so close that students from elementary feeder schools can almost feel the new gym floor, real lockers, elbow room, and an environment free of gravel dust and industrial noise. If all parties make the final pull together, a patient contractor can get to work in time fora fall 1992 completion. The land commission recognized “that there has been a long unfortunate history to the issue of the Mt. Newton Middle School relocation.” We know that feeling is shared. TheReview Serving The Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9726 Ist Street Sidney, B.C V8L 3C9 or PO. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C V8L 3S5 Second Class Mail Registration #0128 Published every Wednesday 656-1151 Publisher: Vic Swan Editor: Glenn Werkman AN ISLAND PUBLISHERS NEWSPAPER CS a ne, ane UP TE _ VERIFIED CIRCULAT-ON — I'M AFRAID WE'LL HAVE To HAVE A PROVINCIAL BUDGET Pe rOK I UNLESS, OF COURSE, SOM TAXPAYERS WANT TO FOLLOW THE NORTH SAANICH EXAMPLE ARD HELF REDUCE OUR. LANDSCAPING EXPENSES... _—_—— No highrise hotels here Editor: News that a seven-storey hotel is under consideration by the Town council for the so-called Port of Sidney development is simply unbelievable. This is not downtown Van- couver, or even Victoma, but the little Town of Sidney — an urban retreat. This waterfront area, which was to have been used to enhance the Town’s capabilities to deal with the ever-growing traffic in boats and ships in this area, and. for which we the taxpayer have now forked out over $5 million in funds for breakwaters, road impro- vements and land purchases, will now be used by private enterprise, not for marine use, but for building a high-rise hotel. Not only will such a building overshadow the landscape in all respects, it will effectively cap any further useful waterfront develop- ment for the future. And lets not try to fool anyone as was the case in the Landmark Building — there would have to be a lot of rules bent and altered to allow that one to go ahead. I say no way, and I hope the rest of Sidney will speak up the same way. C.R. Ward Sidney ‘Going back through the history of Sidney Editor: In early March I was asked to attend a meeting of the Sidney and North Saanich Historical Society and participate on a panel consist- ing of Norma Sealey, Clive Tanner, Joyce Rhodes (library) and myself. It was one of the most interest- ing evenings I have had in some time. Norma Sealey and Art Gard- ner got going on the old days in Sidney and Saanichton and Norma’s family background and probably could have talked all night. In so doing they revealed many things that the more recent incomers to this area, like myself, would have enjoyed knowing. Clive Tanner, in tur, although supposed to be revealing the his- tory of the Star Weekly sign on his store, caused laughter with his outline of the history of the store itself, and Society members were able to increase knowledge of when and how the store started, its many owners, and the fact that Chinese lodgings (workers in the Mill) were across Beacon Avenue from it. Joyce Rhodes took us through the history of the library from its onset, and the various locations it had, including the present Tan- ner’s building, before moving into the attractive complex it is in today. My job, being one of the past presidents of Saanich Peninsula Arts and Crafts was to outline our part in the design and completion of the flag of Sidney, from the history of the design of the Coat of Arms in 1969, to the presentation of the flag to then Mayor Sealey in 1981 by Andrew Stewart, who had chaired the SPAC Committee given the task. In researching, I went back in history to the hydrographic survey- ing by HMS Plumper starting in 1857, using charts and maps made by George Vancouver 63 years before, and found how Sidney and Sidney Island were named. Since the Town’s birthday is approaching I would respectfully suggest that you make contact with some of the people who have access to archives and posess valu- able information. The next meeting of the Society is May 22nd, when Art Gardner will speak on the history of Sidney industries. Margaret Donaldson Sidney Fix for tax woes Editor: A recent article in The Review stated that North Saanich has a short-fall in revenue and taxes may have to be increased. Sir, there is an easy solution to this problem. I don’t know if North Saanich is aware, but, there is a building lot on Lochside (an old road allow- ance) of years ago situated on the sea side between 8669- and 8657- Lochside. For years this piece of property has been used by the people next door for their sole benefit, with a shed situated on it and landscaped. This piece of property is not producing revenue for North Saa- nich so why don’t they sell it? Market value should be around $70,000. It is a dead loss as it stands. George C. Clark Sidney Hype, hmmm! Editor: Twice last week Hope Rust, top dog in the Social Credit party and sycophant of late and largely unla- mented premier said she hoped that “We can get some hype going for the leadership convention and we Can carry that hype over into the election.” My Concise Oxford Dictionary says: Hype. Cheat, cheating, trick: Does this mean that first they are going to cheat each other and then go on and cheat the electorate??? Hmmmmm, Derek R. King Sidney Questions for the editorial writer Editor: In response to your editorial comment in The Review of April 17, (Pre-council meetings: A blow to “open government’) I have a couple of questions for you. Did you neglect to mention that minutes of said “dress rehearsals” are available to the public — obviously, or how would you have known what was said at one — or were you Satisfied to leave the impression that what was said at those meetings only leaks out to concemed ears such as your own? Curiosity also compels me to ask one more question, aimed at those aldermen who are opposed to such meetings, and any mem- bers of the public who may misun- derstand the reasoning of those who wish to hold such meetings. My question is, if it is wrong for staff and council to come together as a group to get and give answers to common questions then how is it right or proper for any alderman in doing his homework to contact any staff member? In doing so, and perhaps in calling another alderman to dis- cuss the problem, are they not Continued on Page A$ =