Metchosin residents have voted overwhelmingly to support a land-swap deal that will protect the district’s rural nature and change the boundary between that municipality and Langford.
Preliminary results of a referendum released by the District of Metchosin late Saturday night showed 76 per cent of voters were in favour of the proposal that involves the two municipalities and the Beecher Bay First Nation.
“It’s really gratifying to know we have our residents behind us,” said Metchosin Mayor John Ranns, who was quick to point out there had been a lot of misinformation spread ahead of the referendum. “I’m really gratified so many residents saw through that and really endorsed the rural direction that we’re going.”
Ranns said it means council can continue on with confidence that they are doing what the public wants.
The land swap involves Beecher Bay transferring three parcels of Crown land, totalling 250 acres, to Metchosin. That land is being offered to Beecher Bay as part of a treaty package.
The parcels of land would then be protected as green space, while Beecher Bay would receive partial ownership in a proposed business park on land currently straddling the Langford and Metchosin border.
The boundary adjustment would place 354 acres of private Metchosin land within Langford, including all the land for the business park. Being within Langford boundaries would allow access to sewer services not available in Metchosin.
If the land swap had not been approved, the First Nation would have been able to develop the land, which some feared would change the rural nature of the Metchosin area.
Those fears should now be put to rest.
Preliminary results showed 1,098 people voted in favour of the land swap, while 349 were opposed.
The preliminary results are based on the ballot count from both advance polls and general voting.
Official results are to be announced on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
According to Ranns, the vote is just one puzzle piece in a massive puzzle where several pieces have to be put together at the same time.
At this point the councils involved are reviewing all agreements and contracts.
Ranns said on top of the three-party agreement with Beecher Bay and Langford, there are also agreements between Metchosin and the First Nation and Metchosin and Langford to be dealt with.
“There is still a lot of work to be done on this,” he said.
