An environmentally-forward and socially-driven development effort in the Cowichan Valley’s Shawnigan Lake community could deliver approximately 500-units of below-market, market and rental housing to the growing Victoria suburb, plus a seniors centre, medical facilities, office and retail spaces, communal farmland and a new town square.

 

Shawnigan Lake-based Olde Towne Developments Ltd. and partner Relish Studios have unveiled plans for two sites in Shawnigan Lake, one known as Shawnigan Village on the colloquially called Sager lands at 2821 Shawnigan Lake Road (across the street from Shawnigan Lake’s RCMP detachment), the other dubbed Shawnigan Estates, a 95-acre formerly logged collection of parcels situated along the 1400 through 1600-blocks of Shawnigan-Mill Bay Road.

 

Although separated by some 400 meters, developer Aaron Usatch describes the two projects as having a symbiotic relationship through a wastewater treatment process diverting used potable water from the Sager property east to the Shawnigan Estates subdivision.

 

According to Usatch, the lack of wastewater treatment has been a long-time obstacle to developing the Sager land for housing and commercial uses, relegating it to largely vacant status for over two decades.

 

“One of the perennial challenges of building on 2821 Shawnigan Lake Road has been the need to collect and treat its wastewater. The solution we’ve developed is to pump water and sewage from the property to Shawnigan Estates, treat the outflow at a state-of-the-art treatment facility, then use that treated, drinkable water to flush toilets at Shawnigan Estates and to irrigate a 20-acre biodynamic farm,” said Usatch, adding that “the farm at the heart of our proposal will effectively unlock the potential of the Sager lands, while providing food security to the region and saving the water equivalent of an Olympic-sized swimming pool every day.”

 

Describing the social responsibility guiding the Shawnigan Estates concept, Usatch says homeownership opportunities will put attainability ahead of profits through the delivery of 200 single-family-homes sold at below-market prices. The lands will also include a trio of rental buildings at up to three-storeys in height totalling 60-units, and a mixed-use institutional component will be earmarked for medical offices, seniors resources, a daycare and commercial spaces.

 

In a statement provided to Citified, Usatch outlined the housing component at Shawnigan Estates as follows:

 

“As part of today’s economic climate the current housing crisis is top-of-mind for many of us. For families, seniors and youth who are unable to find a home or home ownership is increasingly out of reach, we believe this groundbreaking project helps tackle those challenges. Our answer? Attainable homes priced below market value. To ensure we meet this attainability threshold we are committed to offering exclusive availability to Shawnigan Lake residents the option to purchase in our first 90 days of sales. Moreover, during this same time period we will also be offering exclusive access to our low-rise rental residences for Shawnigan Lake residents.”

 

Additionally, the statement notes, homes will feature a separate building that can be used as a mortgage-helping secondary suite, an office, a hang-out spot, or as a workshop.

 

Usatch also confirms the estates’ carbon footprint will be minimized through energy-efficient construction methods and materials, together with ample use of solar technologies to reduce demand on the power grid.

 

Pathways, walking trails and green spaces will be available to residents, as will a protected shared forest.

 

Shawnigan Village, totalling 17-acres, will comprise of approximately 90 townhomes, 120 condominiums in low-rise buildings, studio spaces and a school component operated through Relish Studios (known as the Vancouver Island School of Technical Arts, or VISTA). The site will also accommodate a grocer – a regional amenity identified by the Shawnigan community as a key need through the ThinkShawnigan charrette planning sessions undertaken by local stakeholders and the regional district.

 

Several components of the project still require official green-lighting, Usatch says. However, most of the proposed redevelopment is within the existing zoning and is shovel-ready.

 

With the final phase of the municipal planning process currently before the Cowichan Valley Regional District, the developer is holding a public engagement session this Tuesday, May 31 to meet with Shawnigan residents and to discuss the proposal, answer questions about the partnership’s vision, and gather feedback from the community.

 

“We are not just building attainable shelter, we are planning to build community. We have arrived at an understanding that for the greater needs of the Shawnigan Lake community to be met, simply building economically attainable homes is not enough of an answer,” Usatch said. “The answer is more complex and we believe it includes a meaningful spectrum of amenities, from cultural components, to employment opportunities, to learning, childcare, food security and healthcare.”

 

To learn more about the Shawnigan Estates development, and to stay informed on scheduled engagement sessions including the May 31 open house, click here to view the project’s information portal. C

 

Receive Citified's timely real-estate news straight to your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter, and connect with us on Facebook: