Audited Circulation 12,762 A Victoria Weeklies Publication Wednesday, April 29,1992 50¢ BUSINESS A25 CALENDAR All CLASSIFIEDS A27 COMMUNITY All _|GARDENING A21 | OPINION AT SPORTS A22 OUTDOORS BEYER ~-|CROSS All GRENBY A25 HAMPSON A16 LANG A21 TOP OF THE PILE A7 WALLBERG A10 OVER 600 DAHLIAS A personal project is able fto_raise over $500 for two charities Page A7 ISLAND HOCKEY CHAMPS Boih ladies’ field hockey teams win their sand final matches Page A22 GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP en your slumber is cumbered, life can UPDATE ’92 IS A SPECIAL BUSINESS-ORIENTED NEWSPAPER SECTION Profiles, features and info about business on the Peninsula in fis Own 9A-page progress section See Inside = Review Office Hours The Review office, at 9726 First St in Sidney, is open from 9 am. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mail to Bax 2070, Sidney, B.C. V8L 3S5. ment # Pending. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agree- |” by Valorie Lennox The Review A misunderstanding sparked a threat of a lawsuit against Central Saanich Monday night. Brian But- ler told council members that financing had been frozen on a Thrifty’s warehouse project because council requested a traffic study. The request had been interpreted by the project financiers as an indication the site would not receive a development permit, Butler said. “This has put the skids on the whole project,” he said. He said he now has only a few days to complete the sale of the land. He noted the proponents have followed municipal requirements and expected no problem in obtaining a development permit since the property is zoned for industnal use, which permits war- ehousing. For the municipality to refuse the permit on industrial land could be interpreted as a breach of faith, Traffic study stalls development Butler said. “Tt could (mean) further action, lead to legal action,” he warned, adding that he did not want a confrontation with council. He said there are many develop- ers in the area with industrial land who have put millions into pro- jects and expect to be able to use the land for industry. “Tf the municipality won’t grant a development permit due to traf- fic problems, then all of the deve- Continued on Page AS Property faxes up with Sidney budgei by Randy Allen The Review Sidney council has finalized the 1992 budget and with its approval, property owners will see an increase in their tax bills. The budget calls for 6.8 per cent more tax revenue to be collected than the $4.16 million raised last year. This translates into approxi- mately $284,000 extra for the Town’s coffer. Ald. Dave Goulet and Bob Jones voted against the budget bylaw, saying the increase is too much to ask of the taxpayers. ' “Tam not prepared to go to the people of Sidney with a 6.8 per cent increase,” said Goulet. One of the fair issues of contention was the hiring of five staff positions, which were recom- mended in the Cuff report to improve the operation of the municipality. “J support the extra staff,” said Ald. John Calder. “But, I don’t think we should hire five in one year. “We should hire three and then the other two when we can afford ites Ald. Don Amos disagreed. “The reason we're having this problem is because previous coun- cils didn’t get their house in order,” said Amos. “I’m in favor of going ahead with all these positions.” Last year’s mill rate was 4.1896 and the adjusted rate will be 4.4757. This means that if a house’s assessed value (not the market value) is $100,000, the home- owner will pay $447.57 in taxes, or Continued on Page A2 Council confused over development freeze Sidney council has effectively painted itself and future develop- ments into a comer with its rezon- ing moratorium, said a local archi- tect. “We have people on these coun- cils that have decided they don’t want any growth,” said Art Finlay- son, who moved his architectural business to the Peninsula two years ago because of the develop- mental potential in the area. Finlayson said with the motion > Sidney council approved April 13, they have effectively stalled any development in the community. The motion caused a lot of confusion amongst aldermen Monday after council received legal advice that their previous motion was very limiting. The April 13 motion called fora freeze on any develoments that would increase the flow of sewage to the treatment plant. This was then ammended to include any developments that required re- zoning until the Official Commun- tiy Plan is completed. Council learned Monday they had left themselves with only two options if a development proposal was presented to them — either table the proposal or refuse it. Ald. Don Amos, upon learning of the legal scope of the freeze, asked for the motion to be rescinded — a move which requires a two-thirds majority vote. Amos said the motion, as it stands, is putting the Town in jeopardy. “Tl speak against this scare tactic,’ Ald. John Calder said of Amos’s motion. “And that is what it is.” Ald. Dave Goulet said the freeze does not put the Town in jeopardy. “We are not freezing develop- ment,” he said. “We are putting a freeze on rezoning.” Ald. Ted Daly, who was not present when the freeze was passed, spoke out in favor of rescinding it. “It appears to me that we've imposed, based on legal opinion, a moratorium on development,” he said. Mayor Marie Rosko agreed with Amos and Daly, “The previous motion has effectively frozen all developments.” Amos’ motion was defeated as Goulet, Calder and Ald. Brenda Harfield voted against rescinding the freeze.