** FOR DAILY UPDATES OF ACTION AND NEWS, FOLLOW ARESST ON FACEBOOK:
CONTENTS OF THIS BLOG:
ARESST ACTION
UPCOMING ACTIONS:
- 16 APRIL: VIC WEST COMMUNITY ASSOC. SEWAGE SLUDGE PLANT FORUM
- DOWNLOAD OUR STOPABADPLAN FACTSHEET ON ESQUIMALT SLUDGE PLANT ISSUE
ONGOING ACTIONS:
- SIGN PETITION!
- ARESST BANNERING EVENTS THIS WEEK
PAST ACTIONS
- PETITIONING AT ESQUIMALT PLAZA 12 APRIL
- ESQUIMALT TOWN HALL MEETING FRIDAY, 5 APRIL
CRD SEWAGE NEWS
- VIC WEST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION'S RESOLUTION (CORRECTED)
- CFAX LIVE AT ESQUIMALT COUNCIL SEWAGE SLUDGE PLANT FORUM
- STANFORD COMMENT 8 APRIL
- CRD APPROVES BORROWING OF UP TO $100 MILLION FOR SEWAGE TREATMENT
- BYLAW ALLOWING CRD TO BORROW $100-MILLION FOR SEWAGE TREATMENT PROJECT PASSES
- ESQUIMALT OPPOSES LOCATION OF BIOSOLIDS FACILITY
LETTERS
- SEWAGE-PLANT SITES SOUGHT WITHIN VICTORIA
- COME TOUR VIC WEST TO GAUGE IMPACT
- CRD BOARD SENSITIVE TO COMMUNITY CONCERNS (BROWNOFF)- VICTORIA'S CRD DIRECTORS SHORTSIGHTED ON SEWAGE
- SEND IN YOUR LETTERS!
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ARESST ACTION:
UPCOMING ACTIONS:
BANNER WAVE CALENDAR
Watch the Banner Wave Calendar for our posting this week's banner wave locations, times soon
DOWNLOAD OUR STOPABADPLAN FACTSHEET ON ESQUIMALT SLUDGE PLANT ISSUE
16 APRIL: VIC WEST COMMUNITY ASSOC. SEWAGE SLUDGE PLANT FORUM
Tuesday, April 16, 7:00 pm
Victoria West Community Centre,
521 Craigflower Road at Pine Road.
Purposes of Forum:
Provide education on the process to decide on a location for the STP;
Provide education about the STP (i.e. what is does; what it looks like; local impacts; risks; etc.);
Determine consensus regarding locating the sludge plant on Viewfield Road;
Determine actions/next steps
Everyone is welcome.
Get news on this at VWCA Face Book site:
https://www.facebook.com/
Victoria West Community Centre,
521 Craigflower Road at Pine Road.
Purposes of Forum:
Provide education on the process to decide on a location for the STP;
Provide education about the STP (i.e. what is does; what it looks like; local impacts; risks; etc.);
Determine consensus regarding locating the sludge plant on Viewfield Road;
Determine actions/next steps
Everyone is welcome.
Get news on this at VWCA Face Book site:
https://www.facebook.com/
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ONGOING ACTIONS:
SIGN PETITION!
ARESST BANNERING EVENTS THIS WEEK
Bring $20 to get your ARESST yellow tshirt!
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PAST ACTIONS
PETITIONING AT ESQUIMALT PLAZA 12 APRIL
Even having to remove our banner, the yellow tshirts attracted attention - and signatures.
Watch for the next Plaza Petition!
Beth and Richard - part of our StopABadPlan petitioning crew at Esquimalt Plaza yesterday.
Join us! - Follow stopabadplan calendar for bannering and petitioning
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CRD SEWAGE NEWS
VIC WEST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION'S RESOLUTION (CORRECTED)
VWCA Resolution Re: Viewfield Sewage Sludge Treatment Site
WHEREAS the construction and operation of a regional sewage sludge treatment facility directly adjacent to residential areas in both Esquimalt and Victoria West will damage the urban fabric, potentially risk the health and safety of residents and affect the quality of life in the neighbourhood
BE IT RESOLVED that the Victoria West Community Association is strongly opposed to the use of the Viewfield Road site for a regional sewage sludge treatment facility and urges the CRD to initiate a fair and democratic process for alternative solutions.
Carried unanimously
March 26, 2013
WHEREAS the construction and operation of a regional sewage sludge treatment facility directly adjacent to residential areas in both Esquimalt and Victoria West will damage the urban fabric, potentially risk the health and safety of residents and affect the quality of life in the neighbourhood
BE IT RESOLVED that the Victoria West Community Association is strongly opposed to the use of the Viewfield Road site for a regional sewage sludge treatment facility and urges the CRD to initiate a fair and democratic process for alternative solutions.
Carried unanimously
March 26, 2013
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CFAX LIVE AT ESQUIMALT COUNCIL SEWAGE SLUDGE PLANT FORUM
CFAX Live At Esquimalt Council (22min)
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STANFORD COMMENT 8 APRIL
Frank Stanford's comment
Apr 08 2013 6:30 AM
The more I think about the state of Victoria's sewage treatment project, the more I think everybody...CRD, provincial and federal governments, all need to take a step back and start again.
Confirmation came on Friday that the CRD did in fact choose to limit its options in terms of searching for the right piece of land, out of fear of controversy. A decision was made not to pursue expropriation as a means of acquiring the best site, because an owner who is reluctant to have his land expropriated might argue ...perhaps successfully...that there are other options just as good.
It seems to me this project is too important to compromise out of such fears. Yes the powers that be might have had to work harder to prove to an Appeal Board that the site they selected is indeed the only one that would meet the criteria better than any other. But let us not forget there are literally 100's of millions of dollars of taxpayers money at stake here. The larger community cannot afford to get it wrong. This is why expropriation exists as an option. The CRD should not have been afraid to use it. And even at this late date they should be looking, seriously, at finding the BEST location, and acquiring it by whatever means.
If the province's expert panel says Viewfield Road is the best possible location, from an engineering perspective, fine. But don't decide that just because it was easily available.
This is Frank Stanford
http://www.cfax1070.com/Shows/blog/April-2013/Frank-Stanford-s-comment-for-Monday-April-8-13
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CRD APPROVES BORROWING OF UP TO $100 MILLION FOR SEWAGE TREATMENT
BILL CLEVERLEY
TIMES COLONIST
APRIL 11, 2013
Capital Regional District directors have approved borrowing up to $100 million toward a sewage-treatment building project.
Approval came this week despite the objection of a handful of directors.
“I think we should reconsider this. It’s a significant amount of money, and I can’t support it,” said Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins, who added the other partners in the $783-million sewage-treatment project — the provincial and the federal governments — should be putting up the funds.
“Why are we doing the borrowing? Those proponents that signed on to this project have very deep pockets and normal process would be that they are financing that project up front,” Desjardins said.
“But we’re not being paid by the province until the good job is done, so why would we put our taxpayers at risk for borrowing up front?”
Saanich Coun. Vic Derman said that the region should wait at least until after the provincial election before considering the borrowing.
“There may be some changes, who knows?” Derman said.
“I think this is an inappropriate time to put that kind of public money at risk. I don’t see us spending $100 million over the next two or three months.”
CRC corporate services general manager Diana Lokken said the bylaw simply provides the authority for borrowing — making available the cash flow as needed for sewage treatment costs that are in the CRD budget for the next year.
“This does not say that $100 million is being borrowed today, and that is not the intent,” Lokken said.
“We had the cash flow in the budget that was adopted at the last meeting, and this provides the funding to cover the costs that are projected for this year and for part of next year,” she added.
CRD sewage committee chairwoman Denise Blackwell said the first expenditure to be covered by the borrowing will be for the Craigflower pump station —which would be required regardless of whether or not a treatment plant was built.
The sewage treatment plan envisions a treatment facility at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt.
The CRD also announced last month that it had paid $17 million for a 4.2-acre Wilson Foods warehouse site on Viewfield Road in Esquimalt as a potential location for a sewage treatment biosolids facility which would turn sludge — leftover material from treatment — into fuel.
The CRD had originally planned for a biosolids facility at Hartland landfill in Saanich, connected by an 18-kilometre pipe to McLoughlin Point.
The entire project is expected to be built and operational by 2018, with the federal and provincial governments agreeing to pay two-thirds of the cost.
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BYLAW ALLOWING CRD TO BORROW $100-MILLION FOR SEWAGE TREATMENT PROJECT PASSES
Kyle Reynolds
CFAX NEWS
April 10, 2013 05:00
The CRD board has approved a bylaw that will allow the district to borrow up to $100-million dollars to cover ongoing costs associated to the new sewage treatment project.
Five directors were against the motion, including Barb Desjardins...
"Why are we doing the borrowing? Those proponents that have signed on to this project have very deep pockets. And normal process would be that they are financing that project up front with the understanding that, at the end of the day, they get paid for a good job that's done.
And we're not getting paid by the province until the good job is done, so why would we put our taxpayers at risk (by) borrowing up front."
The loan will allow the district to cover anticipated expenditures ahead of receiving a long-term loan from the Municipal Finance Authority in the fall.
http://www.cfax1070.com/News/Top-Stories/CRD-passes-bylaw-approving-$100-million-loan-for-s
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ESQUIMALT OPPOSES LOCATION OF BIOSOLIDS FACILITY
Township Opposes Location of Biosolids Facility
March 20, 2013
The Township of Esquimalt is opposed to the proposal by the Capital Regional District (CRD) to locate a biosolids treatment centre in the Township on Viewfield Road.
“Locating two sewage treatment facilities within the Township is an inequitable burden to the community and shows a lack of long-term vision,” said Mayor Barbara Desjardins. “In addition, we don’t believe that adequate research has been done on resource recovery for either this new proposed site, or the proposed sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point.”
Additional concerns voiced by the Mayor include:
No public consultation or technical review on the proposed Viewfield site.
An assumption by the CRD that the McLoughlin site will be rezoned for sewage treatment before public consultation on rezoning has begun.
An in-camera process that leaves both the public and the municipality in the dark on a significant regional issue.
According to Director of Development Services Bill Brown, community planning standards have also been ignored in the CRD’s process. “This is counter to well-established community planning and development principles,” said Brown.
“Particularly when you consider that the Viewfield site is located next to an established food distribution centre, and in close proximity to residential neighbourhoods and schools.” Brown also pointed out that committing the Viewfield location to a biosolids treatment centre could jeopardize future commercial opportunities, including a world-class ship-building and repair centre.
For more information, please contact:
Barbara Desjardins, Mayor of Esquimalt
Tel: 250-883-1944
http://www.esquimalt.ca/news/news03201301.aspx
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LETTERS
SEWAGE-PLANT SITES SOUGHT WITHIN VICTORIA
Times Colonist
April 13, 2013
Re: “Victoria’s CRD directors shortsighted on sewage,” letter, April 9.
Before the Viewfield site in Esquimalt was considered for the Capital Regional District biosolids treatment facility, the City of Victoria actively looked at three locations within the city boundaries.
The City of Victoria recognizes it has a responsibility to consider hosting regional services that benefit all citizens of this area.
We also saw an opportunity for the local community to use resource recovery to drive green development.
Unfortunately, none of these sites were suitable due to cost or land-rights issues.
Dean Fortin, Ben Isitt, Marianne Alto and Geoff Young
Victoria CRD directors
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COME TOUR VIC WEST TO GAUGE IMPACT
Re: “CRD board sensitive to community concerns,” letter, April 11.
It is telling that the Capital Regional District considers “respect for the community character” as one of the three categories for assessing sludge-treatment sites. This speaks of ignorance of the character of my beautiful neighbourhood of Vic West on the part of those CRD board members who secretly voted for and purchased this site.
I would like to invite the CRD (and citizens of Greater Victoria area) to tour our neighbourhood and see the community that is being affected by this process.
Drive along Craigflower Road and then turn down one of the quiet side streets like Raynor Avenue, Belton Avenue or Pine Street. Take a walk or bike ride along the waterway from Dockside Green, past the Selkirk Trestle and on to Banfield Park. Stop by the artists’ cafe and French bakery across the street.
See some of the beautiful historic homes in the vicinity of Edward and Mary Street. Walk the oceanside walkway all the way from Songhees to the Head Street Marina. Come see the best dogwalking park and one of the most beautiful spots in the region — Macaulay Point Park.
Look at what you risk devastating and relegating to the slums before making these decisions that affect us and you by removing beautiful, central, residential real estate from the pool of extremely scarce and expensive land.
Walter Ash
Victoria
(not included on T-C digital site, found on Library Press Display).
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CRD BOARD SENSITIVE TO COMMUNITY CONCERNS (BROWNOFF)
TIMES COLONIST
APRIL 11, 2013
Re: “Biosolids decision didn’t consider social criteria,” letter, April 5.
The Capital Regional District has adopted a triple bottom-line framework (environmental, social and economic) for everything we do. The CRD also adopted a five-point public participation process.
With respect to the Core Area Wastewater Project, at one of our first community engagement workshops, we asked the community what their “triple bottom line” framework was and they told us that they supported our framework as long as each component was weighted equally.
The CRD has evaluated many different tracts of land in various municipalities based on this framework. In our siting workshops around lands near the University of Victoria for the Saanich East-North Oak Bay facility, we provided the environmental, social and economic concerns, issues and opportunities for all three sites.
We defined each component: Environmental: ensure environmental best practices; protect and reduce long-term environmental impact and demonstrate “green” leadership; Social: equity and pride; awareness and education and respect for the community character; and finally Economic: value and performance; accountable and responsible and a long-term economic plan.
It is unfortunate that some are trying say committee members from larger communities, whose taxpayers contribute the most based on population and assessment to CRD services, are “treating a small community” in a different manner than we have treated all of us.
These two sites, based on our adopted evaluation framework, have come out to be the ones to have a balanced discussion with the greater community. There has not been a final decision yet, and the broader community does have a say on what they think is the best.
Judy Brownoff
Saanich councillor and CRD director
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/crd-board-sensitive-to-community-concerns-1.108102
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VICTORIA'S CRD DIRECTORS SHORTSIGHTED ON SEWAGE
Times Colonist
April 9, 2013
In its effort to push its sewage treatment plan, the Capital Regional District, with a few strokes of a pen, has removed recently another significant tax revenue-generating property out of Esquimalt (McLoughlin Point, and now Viewfield Road).
This loss of tax revenue for Esquimalt could have repercussions during municipal budget time when Victoria comes knocking, looking for its share of the Victoria-Esquimalt police budget. Four Victoria councillors sit as CRD directors, so their votes weigh heavily in the decision-making process. They all came out in favour of this $17-million land purchase on Viewfield Road.
When they change their hats back to being Victoria councillors, the same individuals will come to Esquimalt looking for money for the police budget. Does the CRD decision-making process make sense? A little bit of thought might have prevented those bad decisions.
Charles Lavoie
Esquimalt
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