by Roger Stonebanks, citizen reporter

UPDATED Nov 6 – after the Nov 5 Open House.

Aragon Properties of Vancouver has scaled back its latest plan, unveiled to the public on Nov. 5, for the former Trio industrial site in Cordova Bay to 309 dwelling units.

This compared with 440 dwelling units initially (including a 12-storey condo) reduced after two ‘open houses’ to 385 units and no 12-storey building in the rezoning and development permit applications to Saanich. A further reduction was announced last April to 330 units.

The development company, which bought the 26-acre (10.6 hectare) site from the McLaren family for $6.1 million in 2014, eliminated houses on Cordova Bay Road including angle parking and a six-storey building at the two entrances/exits was reduced to four storeys. The balance of the proposal includes single-family houses and townhouses and two six-story condos and one at four storeys and some shops where Gravel Mart stood.

Larry Gontovnick, president of the Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs, told Saanich Voice Online (SVO) that the CBA is hoping for a further reduction to 290 dwelling units. He also hoped there will be a traffic light at Cordova Bay Road/Fowler Road.

Aragon Properties president Lenny Moy told SVO that the company will reflect on written and verbal comments received at the busy ‘open house’ at Cordova Bay Community Place before deciding on the next step.

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Published: Nov 1, 2016:

Trio development looking at major changes

It’s time for another downsizing for the major residential development planned for the former Trio industrial site in Cordova Bay.

But just how much downsizing and other details of the new plan are being kept under wraps by Aragon Properties until a public open house on Saturday Nov. 5 between 2 and 4 p.m. at Cordova Bay Community Place (popularly known as the 55 Plus Centre) at the south end of Cordova Bay Elementary School.

Aragon Properties president Lenny Moy did allude to “major changes” but added, “The one detail that I can share with you is that total [dwelling] unit count for the project has been reduced based on input from the Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs.”

Representatives from Aragon Properties and project architect Franc D’Ambrosio will display the revised plan at the open house.

When Aragon Properties held initial public meetings in 2015 for the mixed residential development of condos and houses, plans showed 440 dwelling units including a 12-storey condo (since dropped). It was to be called “Triangle Hill” but that name has also been dropped. The first plan was scaled back to 385 dwelling units when the rezoning and development permit applications were made to Saanich. Then a further reduction to 330 units was announced last April.

No development dollar figure has been put on any of the plans. Aragon Properties bought the 26-acre (10.6 hectare) property at Cordova Bay Road/Fowler Road and below Alderley Road for $6.1 million from the McLaren family in December 2014. It is within the Urban Containment Boundary and the Sewer Service Area. The property was used for many decades as a quarry with rock crushing and, more recently, concrete-making in a batch plant. Soil mix and concrete products were sold at Gravel Mart. The operational business, Trio Ready-Mix, was sold to Ralmax Group of Companies in 2013.