VREIC CR Trip May
10-11, 2008
Lunch at Banners
- joined by Ken and Dawn Munn from
- Marie Boichuk, Macdonald
Realty Nanaimo who introduced us to the Seymour Pacific development
Saturday meeting
Roy Grant - pro development counsellor, realtor
Brenda Paul - CEO River
Corp.
George Paul - new Strathcona Regional District exec. dir.
Ann Baunt - economic development officer River Corp
Paul Stanton - CR city planner, pro development
Brad Bradbury - economic dev officer River Corp
River Corp is owned by city and works independently
RC is an advocate on behalf of business moving in
Re-branding of CR is happening right now
Talks are ongoing on to somehow amalgamate services of regional
district and CR/RC
CR is shifting from service sector and has lots of diversity
The challenges in forestry and mining sectors offer
opportunity.
Paul Stanton talk
He has private and public sector background
He re-wrote the OCP (over time), went from 300 pages to 100
pages
Took 3 years and 15 public meetings
OCP now takes into account long term transit needs,
sustainability, uses smart-growth principles
Zoning bylaws are all upgraded
There is a Development Advisory Commission with diverse
stakeholders
Big box store growing just north of downtown at base of
spit.
1000 housing units could be accommodated in downtown without
zoning chgs
Many multi-unit projects on the go now
CMHC vacancy rate is 3.3% so holding off on strata
conversion approvals for now.
Policy is to promote secondary suites
Want to see secondary units spread around the whole
community
There are declining school enrolments
DCC has doubled (now $8000/unit) and is still half of Comox
($15,900)
Sewage system is cell-based and can expand easily
When getting approval to develop there is a 3 week
technical/public meeting period then council approval
Rezoning has 2 month turnaround
Building permits 1.5 months
Prefer multifamily development around estuary at mouth of
Nun's Creek area having smart growth study now, normal
flooding is common there
Colleen Evans of CR
& District Chamber of Commerce
New retail growth
Marine harvest employs 500 people
50 to 60 yr olds moving here and starting businesses
BC Tidal Energy Corp is getting ready to install SeaGen
Tidal energy system in
Plutonic Power Corp is working in the area to create Green
power in the C.R. area
Roy Grant
went over maritime centre and fishing pier projects
CR population is 31,500
there are existing zinc/copper and coal mines
aquaculture farms, salmon, oyster, scallops
some local logging, pulp mill down to 3 paper lines
Tourism is big, Tyee club is internationally recognized
Cruise ship dock on native land, 4 stops/year, 800 passengers
+ crew, lots of positive feedback
3 native bands on 3 reserves in and around CR
Water and sewer now at airport, plan to extend runway to
5000 ft
Attract corporate air traffic
Industrial land around airport ripe for development
Water is 4th best in N.A.
$5.2 million ultraviolet disinfection system used
Tidal power R&D company active
Geothermal power generation station active
avg price for sfh is $310k to $315k, up 50% in last 3 years
Mobile home parks w/ modular homes, 2 coming forward, bare
land stratas
New hotels/motels (nothing built in last 20 years)
1 or 2 apartment buildings
More multi-family esp. in downtown core
Semi-waterfront land goes for $700k/acre
Tour of
High density single-family, modern plans, at junction of
Loans officers and realtors present
Looked at a couple of
properties on the way back to Painter's Lodge
Edgewater motel waterfront property on
- price high, small lot, could be developed, multi-unit
piece ok, house good
Triplex off
Tour of corner lot on
- possibility of 16 units on 2 acres in
2 side-by-side 4-plexes in Painter Barclay area
- much discussion, private sale, $750k, price too high
Painter's Lodge
Excellent accommodation, great location, lots of character
in lodge
Sunday breakfast at
Sequoia Springs golf course followed by tour of Shades of Green development
Barry Brown, developer, gave excellent talk on Why live in
Shades of Green is 3 phases, gated community
Same trades people since started
First is complete, re-sales already happening, price has
more than doubled
2nd phase mostly done, complete in 4 to 6 months
Side-by-side duplexes, 2 bed + den, 2 bath, $112/mo strata,
$1,400/yr taxes
1,325 sq ft is $319,000
1,638 sq ft is $399,000
10% down, balance on possession
Rentable, attracts excellent tenants
Includes golf club initiation fee
High quality construction, exceeds code in most cases,
thick-walled concrete crawl space
Ready to move in, some flexibility on features if given enough
notice
Very impressive construction
Can start round of golf at nearest tee
Tour of properties by
Ted Chalaturnyk of Coast Realty
Nice handout before tour
Up to north border to see Catalyst mill and possible future
golf course
Very nice waterfront lots at end of
Duplex, up-down, in
Log house in
Very funky trailer inside a house on
Drive thru Holly Hill, new development along river.
Out to
New development near
Drive thru older area just off downtown up the hill from the
fire hall
- many small homes being fixed up, some great view lots,
lanes in behind, investor territory
Ted did a good job at giving us the overview
Lunch at Iron Kettle
in new mall
On the road by 3:15
Ted C. - tchalaturnyk@telus.net 250-203-0018
Coast Realty
Marie Boichuk - 250-714-2242, Macdonald Realty Nanaimo
Lynn Owens, Shades of Green rep. - 250-202-7272
www.sequoiasprings.com
Brenda Paul, River Corp, 250.830.0411, Extension 3,
www.rivercorp.ca, brendapaul@rivercorp.ca
Paul Stanton, City of Campbell River, 250-286-5700, info@campbellriver.ca,
George Paul, District of Strathcona, 250-802-3573,
www.rdcs.bc.ca (not split from Comox district yet)
Painters Lodge, 1625 McDonald Road, 250-286-1102,