Councillors blocking VIMC expansion should be tossed
Council and staff at North Cowichan (MNC) are a sham and incompetent decision makers.
The previous CAO determined that the application for Phase 1 of the VIMC project was consistent with the zoning bylaw. He also, determined that the subsequent phases planned by VIMC were also consistent with the zoning bylaw on the land in question. The CAO, at the time, gave VIMC written assurances to that effect. Now, our whimsically, high-handed council and staff think that they can just pull the carpet out from under VIMC and change their minds.
The previous CAO did discuss this matter with council of the day, and none of them objected to the project. One of the current dissenters, councillor Marsh, supported the Phase 1 development at that time and did not force a public hearing obviously because the land use proposed was consistent with the zoning bylaw as was believed by the CAO of that time.
Breaching the assurances given to VIMC by the previous CAO could be catastrophic for MNC taxpayers. The damages and court costs are said to run into the tens of millions of dollars. What is more irksome is that North Cowichan council is caving in to the wishes of the residents of the CVRD who are doing almost all of the complaining but who will not be liable for a cent of those damages because they do not live in MNC nor do they pay a cent of taxes to MNC.
Instead of making the right decision and allowing VIMC to proceed as promised by the previous CAO, this council has decided that the proper course is to raise our property taxes first to increase the insurance fund and then when they lose the lawsuits to double our taxes to cover the costs. Those five high-handed councillors (Toporowski, Marsh, Douglas, Sawrie and Justice) should be tossed out of office asap.
Don Swiatlowski
North Cowichan
Editor’s note: This letter was edited. A previous version included Councillor Rob Douglas as one of the councillors who initally supported Phase 1 of the Motorsport development. This was incorrect.