A Letter Presented to Victoria City Council

I'm Tim Houlihan, Resident of Victoria,
1. Thanks for moving the City from a position which saw the Victoria International
Marina as a “done deal” to where we are now; openly discussing the
implementation of city policies for the Harbour and the Songhees. It is my
understanding that these policies have been worked on for many years, discussed
with the community and adopted by previous Councils. Unfortunately, the
implementation through zoning of both the Walkway and the Crown Water Lot 1
had become stalled. 2. I'm here as a member of the human powered vessel operators; paddlers, rowers,
stand up paddle board users, open water rowers, canoeists. I'm a long term crew
Captain of Team Mana Hoe, the “fun and fitness and sometime outrigger racing
crew” established in 2000, operating from Ocean River Paddling Club on Victoria
Harbour. I'm here to support both of the re-zoning bylaws before us. My
interest in these matters is not just from being part of a “working harbour”
business until my recent retirement from Ocean River Sports, or, as a harbour
paddler. It comes from over 33 years practice as an urban and regional planner
who has worked both sides of the land use planning and development control
business.
3. While I'm generally in support of the way that the City policies have been applied
to the our community asset, Water Lot 1, I am concerned that the southern
boundary of the the hatched area – on the Siting diagram Schedule 1 gives the
false impression that it is OK to build this close to the taxi way of the Victoria
Harbour aerodrome. Paddlers and rowers don't play around active breakwaters.
Please reconsider the southern boundary of this siting plan and move it well away
from this conflict area. It's a safety thing.
4. I am also concerned that all human powered vessel users from clubs or rental
businesses in the Inner Harbour, the Upper Harbour, and the Gorge Waterway
depart from their own marinas but have to negotiate by or through or under any
marina that is located in the hatched area. It is one thing to “put in” on the shore
and paddle out a short distance amongst your neighbour's boats to the open
water. But is is folly to adopt a siting plan which will plug the non motorized side
of Victoria's Harbour with any marina that forces people transiting to The Strait
to negotiate passage through someone else's marina. Again, please reduce the
hatched area to respect the other harbour users and to minimize any conflict
where the Airport taxiway adjoins the marina siting area.
5. Since 2005, there has been a message being repeated and repeated. No public
access to the water on the Songhees side.... I recently read a brochure that
stated - “Kayaks can be launched from the Marina (currently there is no kayak
launch on that side of the harbour). The on going message and the preceding
statement are not factual.
Songhees has a public beach near the Delta where ORPC puts in and takes out big
boats. Aside from the first paddler's rally in 2009, where the beach was filled
with kayaks, it is not unusual to see paddlers put in or take out there year round.
There are two other public beaches between Songhees Point and Paul Kane Place.
Both have 3 hour parking adjacent to them and a quick walk across the Westsong
walkway gives one access to the Harbour. These are also accessible to Songhees
residents who “trailer' their boats along the sidewalks. Kayaks put in and take
out there. These community amenities have been put there by previous City
Councils.
For those who use the touch and go Harbour Ferry Dock in a respectful manner
it's there too.
Please add these facts to your background and recreation and tourism documents.
It is important that people know that public access to the Harbour is available at
these points and I expect City Officials and Councillors to “trumpet it” every time
someone says different.
6. In conclusion, I urge Council to unanimously adopt the re-zoning of the Walkway
that was conveyed to the City in 1988.
And, please consider when adopting the Re-zoning of Crown Water lot 1
a: amending the re-zoning by-law to ensure that there is absolutely no potential
to cause conflict between non motorized users and the Harbour Airport
operations; and,
b. reduce the dimension from shore to the southern boundary of the hatched area
on Schedule 1 to negate any development which will force non motorized users
from the Gorge Waterway, the Upper Harbour and the Inner Harbour to transit
through, behind, or under any marina.
Thank You: