Lot 113 - Denewood Place - Variance Application

Sheringham Water Works believes that there is a serious threat to our drinking water and urge you to make your views knows in order to try to stop this from happening.  

The owners of Lot 113 wish to place a septic field within a few feet of the edge of bank of Goudie Creek and are seeking a variance which would allow this.

As you know, Goudie Creek is the source of all of our drinking and domestic water.  We need to keep it unpolluted by human wastes if at all possible. If waste from the septic field were to enter Goudie Creek, that would threaten our drinking and domestic water.  Please act now to stop this variance.

Over the past several years owners of this undevelopable lot in the SWW service area and directly adjacent to Goudie Creek have tried to get local government to approval a development.  The Juan de Fuca Land Use Committee, made up of elected and appointed representatives, has two times before denied any changes in the bylaws on grounds that it would be unsafe for the drinking water because of the proximity of Goudie Creek to the property and thus the development.

The applicant returned recently with another proposal, and the JdF Land Use Committee, with Shirley’s elected representative George Miller voting in favour, voted 3 to 2 to grant a variance that places the development’s septic system dangerously close to the creek and jeopardizes SWW’s water source.

The motion to approve the variance, despite strong opposition from neighbours, SEAS and SWW, was moved by the Regional Director’s Alternate, Wally Vowles, as Mr. Hicks was not present.

While the Committee’s decision is advisory to the Regional Director, it is unclear what Mr. Hicks or CRD Committee A, the final approving authority, will do in this case. However, all indications from past experience are that it will be approved.

It is imperative that you make your views known right away -- the meeting is scheduled for September 14^th, and all submissions must  be into the CRD in advance of the meeting.

Please click on “send an email” and send your views to Mr. Hicks and all members of Committee A.  It only takes one click.

Should you want more background, please review SWW’s letter, CRD Staff report, and other information provided on this page.

You may also send a letter, telephone or come to the meeting to express your views. Anyone wishing to speak at the CRD meeting must register by Monday September 12^th.  A directory of contact information is available here.

Please act today - the safety and quality of your drinking water depends on it.