WATCH: Three 12-storey wood-construction towers are being proposed for a block of downtown Langford. April Lawrence reports.
Heidi Pitts has been handling kids clothes at her Langford store A to Z Consignment for two decades, but now she’s worried she may be forced out of the neighbourhood.
“Just being unsure of where I’m going to go is not a good feeling,” she said.
The entire block of Peatt Road, between Goldstream and Hockley Avenues, is slated for development.
“Rent is about double what I’m paying here anywhere else that I’ve seen so far that would be appropriate, so that has been a challenge,” she said.
The proposal is for three 12-storey towers that would be a mix of commercial and residential space.
“We’re going to go dense in our core and that’s what’ll create our economy so people living in neighbourhoods around us we’ll be able to access directly into our city centre core and use the services that we have here,” said Langford Mayor Stew Young.
Many of the single family homes slated to come down on Peatt Road are already boarded up while at least one has already been demolished and construction equipment moved in.
Larry Bracegirdle lives in one of the homes that are still standing. He says he’s known for years he’d eventually have to move on and although he’s concerned about finding another affordable place to live, he thinks the plan for three high rises is a good one.
“We’re right downtown Langford it looks like this will probably be the best place for this kind of development they want to do,” he said.
But some have raised concerns about the impacts to traffic by adding so many units in the small downtown core.
“Traffic is already jammed up between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. every day so more condos and taller condos, I don’t think that’s such a great idea,” said Pitts.
There is already one, 11-storey tower in downtown Langford but Young says the new development will have one key difference — the towers will be made from wood.
It still has to be approved by council but if it goes ahead the developer, DB Services, hopes to break ground by the end of the year.
Heidi Pitts is hoping she can find other affordable retail space in the Western Communities and urges anyone who has something available to call her store.
April Lawrence
