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Council set to sell closed Kennedy Road property

After years of limbo and debate, Sooke council approved the sale of the closed Kennedy Road municipal property.

After years of limbo and debate, Sooke council approved the sale of the closed Kennedy Road municipal property.

The offer came from adjacent property owners, Harbour View Centre Ltd. of 6257 Sooke Rd. and E.J. Charters Buildings Ltd., of 6509 Sooke Rd. for a total of $68,922.

Since Kennedy Road was closed by council in 2005, both Harbour View and E.J. Charters looked to buy a portion of the road, though the piece of property remained in the District of Sooke’s possession until now.

The purchase is split between Lot A, for $37,062, and Lot B for $31,960, with the rezoning to get adopted on July 11.

Once the final agreement takes place, a piece of the road gets consolidated with one side, the other piece gets consolidated with the other side, noted Rob Howat, the district’s director of development services.

Howat noted there have been various disagreements from neighbouring Sooke residents with the district and the two property owners to close the road, sell it, and rezone it.

“The road was applied to be closed, and it went through. Only one neighbouring property wanted it, but when the process started, the other property said, I’d like the other half,” he said, pointing out this has been an ongoing process for the last six years.

At the June 27 council meeting, two neighbouring residents expressed concern over the purchase, as no one has yet confirmed what will be developed on the property, which is zoned partly as multiple family use, partly as commercial use.

“It’s not in the community and the district’s best interest to sell that property at this time,” said Sooke resident Nafisi Roust, who asked council if the district would consider a long-term lease.

“It still belongs to the district, and it can still be used by the two businesses that are adjacent to it, that way, it keeps everybody comfortable,” she said