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Qualicum Beach residents still concerned about location, height of Berwick facility

The proposal will be going to the Feb. 27 regular council meeting
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The proposed Qualicum Beach Berwick Retirement Facility is to be built next to the town hall. Residents are concerned about the height of the facility which is five storeys.

It is turning out to be a case of making mountains out of mole hills.

More than a dozen people got up to speak at the public hearing for the proposed Berwick Retirement Communities facility in Qualicum Beach Wednesday (Feb. 22), with many still concerned about the height and location of the building while others spoke on the topic of multi-generational buildings in town.

The proposed five-storey Qualicum Beach location would be one of the smallest Berwick facilities of which they have one in Nanaimo, Comox, Campbell River, Kamloops and two in Victoria.

The public hearing had been extended from the Feb. 6 meeting after town staff and council received messages from residents who weren’t able to attend the meeting due to the snowy weather. The proposal will go to the Feb. 27 regular council meeting, when council will vote whether or not to go ahead with third reading.

Chris Denford, of the Denford family who founded the Berwick facilities, was in attendance at the hearing.

Cecil Bosher said Berwick is the wrong height in the wrong place and is in no way tailor-made for this town.

“This high rise (Berwick) is only the first one,” Bosher said. “High-rise Berwick will usher in high-rise Qualicum Beach as night follows day.”

Marlys Diamond, who has lived in the community for 29 years and who spoke at the previous hearing, said she supports the facility, adding that she knows there have been concerns about the height of the building.

“When the town hall was being proposed, there was a hue and cry like you wouldn’t believe,” Diamond said. “The papers were full of it. People were saying things like, ‘It’s the Taj Mahal, it’s too tall, we don’t need it.’ The council of the day had the courage to vote in favour of it, and subsequently it’s been one of the buildings that the town is most proud of.”

Diamond also said in 20 years’ time, people will say what a wonderful community Berwick is.

Another woman from the gallery, who The NEWS was unable to identify, said she wasn’t in favour of the facility. She said if something is to be built next to the town hall, it should be for all of the community.

Anna Grieve, who has a 40-year background in health care, said she has extensive experience with the geriatric population and the fastest-growing demographic is “frail elderly”, which is people over the age of 85.

Denford has previously said the average age of people moving into their facilities is 85, but those are the active seniors in the community.

Grieve said it’s better when a community isn’t top-heavy in one demographic, but she added that wasn’t saying she’s not in favour.

“Why are we not considering housing options that have us living together, working together and being together, instead of always being seniors or the young people?” asked Grieve, adding that everyone could benefit from varied demographics.

Another speaker from the gallery, Gordon Davidson, said he and his wife have been living in the Comox Berwick facility for the past six months after living in Qualicum Beach for 11 years. He said they want to move back to the community if this proposed facility is built.

Coun. Neil Horner asked Chris Denford whether there was a guarantee of locals moving into the facility, vacating homes for families.

Denford said looking at their experience with other facilities “typically 95 per cent” are from within the community.

Lena Foran, the sales and marketing director for Berwick, told The NEWS 112 people have expressed their interest in learning more about the Qualicum Beach facility. Of the 112 people, 41 were from Qualicum Beach, 14 were from the Parksville area, 13 people were from the general vicinity such as Nanoose Bay and the other 44 people, she said didn’t want to give their address, so they could be from Qualicum Beach or another location.

Denford also said the facility would be great for young people by offering long-term employment opportunities. He said there would be 14 full-time and 36 part-time positions.

The 94-unit facility would include nine studio units, 72 one-bedrooms units and 14 two-bedroom units. There would also be other amenities including a health and fitness room, bar, rooftop greenhouse and a games area.

 



Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's national team, after my journalism career took me across B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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