Letters dispute Denman Green proposal and consultation

Comments recorded at a May meeting ranged from support for affordable housing to objections about water, density and electronic public meetings.

The Denman Firestarter · reporting 2020-09-03 · compiled 2026-10-01

Back issue. The Denman Firestarter did not exist on 2020-09-03. This edition was compiled on 2026-10-01 from the public record as it stood on 2020-09-03, and contains nothing dated after that day — no outcomes, no hindsight. It is a reconstruction of what was on the record at the time, not a document from the time. This edition.

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Comments at the Denman Island Local Trust Committee’s May 19 meeting showed disagreement over the Denman Green application and how the public should be consulted. The minutes record both support for electronic business meetings and opposition to holding electronic community information meetings or public hearings. ^[1]

One comment supported the application and urged the committee to make decisions quickly on affordable-housing projects serving different populations on Denman. Other comments opposed the Denman Green proposal, citing concerns about water use, added density on the remainder parcel, the island’s character and the possibility of setting a precedent. ^[1]

A community member also questioned why the application was proceeding after Island Health said rainwater collection was not a suitable primary source of potable water for a development of this size. The May minutes record that question as a public comment, not as a finding by the committee. ^[1]

At an August 6 information meeting, the minutes recorded that the applicant proposed rainwater collection as the primary water source and that referral responses expressed concerns about its suitability for a development of this size. The minutes also say more information was needed before a public hearing could be scheduled. ^[2]

Sources

Denman LTC Regular Meeting Minutes, May 19, 2020
The LTC was encouraged to hold electronic business meetings if unable to hold regular in-person public meetings due to the Covid-19 pandemic health recommendations

link checked · passage found in the document we hold
Denman LTC Special Meeting Minutes, August 6, 2020
Referral responses were summarized with concerns expressed regarding the rainwater collection as a primary source of potable water for a development of this size.

link checked · passage found in the document we hold

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