CBRA Chair Eric Dahli and director Jerry Donaldson report:
On Monday August 19, 2019, Saanich Council approved the University of Victoria’s proposal to construct two new buildings to provide food and residential services to students. The new construction will yield a net increase of 600 beds and will help to relieve the housing shortage faced by U-Vic students every fall. Design and public consultation will occur in 2021 with construction starting in 2022. Building 1 is to open in the fall of 2022, Building 2 in early 2023. Full details of the proposal are available on the University of Victoria website.
The CBRA asked Saanich to advise whether the long awaited improvements to Sinclair Rd, especially on the hill, could be made in concert with the construction activity on campus. We were advised by Saanich some months back that there will likely be heavy truck traffic and undergound servicing required to support the construction of these buildings. Therefore in Saanich’s view it would be ideal that the majority of this work happens in advance of improvements to Sinclair in order to avoid damage to a newly constructed roadway.
In an email dated August 20, 2019 responding to CBRA Chair Eric Dahli’s most recent request for information, Saanich Director of Engineering Harley Machielse stated that Sinclair Road has been identified in the Active Transportation Plan as a short term priority for walking and cycling improvements along with rehabilitation of the pavement. Saanich Engineering expects to begin planning and design work in 2020 with construction taking place in a two to four year time frame.
