What's new on DenmanIsland.co. We ship in the open.
Our market estimate is now called LandIntelVal
2026-06-09
We renamed our independent market-value estimate from "DenmanValue" to "LandIntelVal." The methodology is unchanged — it's the same comparable-sales, waterfront-aware land model plus measured-footprint building value, still clearly an estimate and not an appraisal. The new name reflects that this estimate now extends beyond Denman to Hornby Island and the Comox Valley Regional District's Electoral Area A, and will keep expanding. (Earlier changelog entries still say "DenmanValue" — that was its name at the time, and we don't rewrite history.)
The island map can now colour parcels by value, not just by zone. Toggle between assessed value, estimated tax revenue, our DenmanValue market estimate, and the property tax that would be collected if our market estimates were taxed at each lot's current rate. Colours run a light-to-deep scale by quantile, and the legend shows the island median and average for whatever you're viewing. The legend itself is now collapsible — and starts minimized on phones so it doesn't cover the map.
A new Farms section presents an aggregate analysis of farm-class assessment on Denman: across the ~53 parcels whose public records show an assessment pattern consistent with Class 9 (Farm), total assessed value vs. our market estimate, and the property tax that would be collected if those lands were assessed at market and taxed at the residential rate — roughly $645,000/yr, foregone under the provincial farm-class framework. Farm class is a legal program with a public purpose; this is aggregate, clearly-labelled analysis from public data, not a statement about any individual property.
Fresher building data + buildings shown on the map
2026-06-01
We added current building footprints from Overture Maps (refreshed roughly monthly, vs. the older 2018–21 imagery), kept alongside the previous set as a fallback, and the code now prefers the fresher data. Lot maps render the actual building outlines over satellite imagery.
DenmanValue rebuilt on real market comparables
2026-06-01
After a reader pointed out that an 18.8-hectare oceanfront lot was valued far too low, we rebuilt DenmanValue from the ground up. It no longer leans on BC Assessment's figures (which are low, especially for farm-class land); instead it values land from a waterfront-aware base plus a market rate for additional acreage, and buildings at a Denman replacement cost of ~$350/sq ft of measured footprint. Waterfront now lifts only the homesite, not every back acre. The result is far more realistic — and the gap between assessed and market value is now visible per lot.
Lot maps now display the actual building footprints over satellite imagery, with a count and total floor-area measurement — so you can see what's really on a property, not just its outline.
Farm-class income requirement shown on farm lots
2026-06-01
Lots that appear to hold farm-class assessment now prominently show an estimated public-data farm-income threshold under BC's rules. For parcels over 10 acres, the legal formula uses 5% of the farm operation's actual value for farm purposes beyond the 10-acre baseline; because BC Assessment's farm-purpose value and actual income are not public, our displayed number is a proxy estimate.
Building siting vs. setbacks — measured from satellite
2026-05-31
Lot pages now show how far the nearest substantial building sits from the closest property line, measured from satellite building footprints, alongside the minimum lot-line setback Land Use Bylaw 186 sets for that zone. Where a building appears to sit inside the minimum it's noted — clearly framed as a measurement, not a determination of non-compliance (a building may pre-date the bylaw, be an accessory structure, or follow a boundary with different rules). Front-yard and sea setbacks, which are larger, come next.
Property-tax estimates corrected — now include local service-area levies
2026-05-31
Our earlier tax estimate was materially too low: it left out the CVRD and local service-area levies that make up a big share of a Denman bill — Denman Fire, Community Parks, Garbage, Vancouver Island Regional Library, Community Facilities, CVRD Denman/Hornby, Recreation, regional solid waste, 911, Economic Development, Grant, and Heritage. The real residential rate is about $4.64 per $1,000, not $2.94. Every lot's estimate has been recomputed. (Estimates still assume Residential class and are per legal lot — a home spanning several lots pays the sum.)
Each lot now shows DenmanValue — our independent estimate of market value, built from BC Assessment's land value plus the building value implied by the actual building footprint we measure from satellite imagery (or the reported value, whichever is greater). Because BC Assessment often under-reports building size and count, this is frequently higher than the official assessment. Lots also show their measured building count and footprint area, and likely farm-class assessment is flagged with the minimum farm income required to qualify.
We published a public page for every parcel on the island — zoning (Land Use Bylaw 186), Agricultural Land Reserve status, area, ownership type, and an estimated property tax, each with a link to the public source it came from.
Each lot now shows an estimated annual property tax based on the actual 2025 rural rates for our jurisdiction (CVRD Area A), applied to the assessed value — clearly labelled as an estimate.
Denman by the Numbers
2026-05-31
A data portrait of the island: lots by zone, residences, ALR share, total assessed value, median value by neighbourhood, and estimated property tax by zone.
Thousands of real happenings compiled from community sources (starting with The Islands Grapevine), sorted by date, each linked to its source. An ongoing, growing record.