After two-and-a-half years of public meetings, three days of public hearing and intense public opposition Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Director Mike Hicks has made a decision on the Marine Trail Holdings rezoning application.
In a brief letter to the Sooke News Mirror he said, "I will be recommending and voting to deny the Marine Trail Holding re-zoning application. It is clear to me that the vast majority of the Juan de Fuca residents and the residents of the Capital Regional District want the land to remain forest and preferably park. There is little support for a resort development of any size. I will represent the public's wishes and vote to deny the application."
In another letter, Mayor Dave Saunders said in response to Mike Hicks' announcement, "Thank you for the heads up. Just so you know. I have received advise from Bob Lapham as I have had to respond to media requests since you made your decision known. I did not want it perceived that your announcement and comments on the radio had influenced my decision in any way as it did not, what has influenced my decision was the leg work I did in the JDF community and what average Joe and average Jane had to say at the public hearing. I will also be voting no to the development and will also be making some possible recommendations to the CRD Board coming from several comments in relation to the public hearing, the Marine Trail, infrastructure, emergency services and the development land."
Hicks and Saunders are two of the members of the CRD Land Use Committee A made up from the mayors of Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, Sooke and the JDF EA director. The committee will vote on rezoning Ilkay’s land in October.