A resort community featuring campgrounds and cabins is proposed west of Sooke in between Shirley and Jordan River (British Columbia, Canada).
According to a report from Citified, the developers seek a rezoning to allow for the construction of up to 39 cabins, 84 RV and tenting campsites, accommodation for staff, an office and reception space, a small retail/convenience operation, and a caretaker residential unit for two parcels of land at 11237 West Coast Road/Highway 14 east of Sandcut Beach and west of Fossil Bay Resort.
The development site plan shows two rows of waterfront cabins south of the highway, totaling 13 units, in addition to a retained residence and cabin currently on the land. Fourteen cabins are also planned north of the highway parallel with the route (locally referred to as West Coast Road), with RV pads and campsites beyond them.
In the northernmost and highest point on the property, 11 tiny cabins are planned. In the course of the development, a bridge will be constructed across Rockbottom Creek, connecting to an existing forestry road network.
A reception area, which will include a convenience store and a caretaker’s residence, is planned for the entrance at the development’s main entrance just north of the highway.
As illustrated by conceptual sketches, the style of architecture calls for A-frame cabins that feature accessories inspired by the West Coast and operational structures. Tenting sites should be able to accommodate at least one vehicle and at least one tent, whereas RV sites are sufficient to fit a full-size recreational vehicle.
The rezoning application seeks to convert the land from Forestry Zoning to a Rural Commercial Recreation zone permitting the same uses as described above.
According to a report filed by the CRD, the existing Shirley-Jordan River Official Community Plan (OCP) identifies the parcels as Coastal Upland, with an intended use for forestry operations under a program called Private Managed Forest Land, or PMFL. If a property is removed from the PMFL, the OCP permits uses described as low-impact recreation and low-impact tourism, community parkland, single-family residential development, and agriculture. The proposal, according to CRD staff, “proposes low-impact tourism consistent with the Shirley-Jordan River contextual rural character and in keeping with the community goals identified by the OCP.”
Other proposed amendments would allow applications like the commercial storefront along with the utility and accessory buildings and the retention of two existing housing structures (a residence and a cabin).
Once approved, the proposed project will be a part of existing recreation facilities that provide short-term accommodation west of Shirley and east of Jordan River.
Fossil Bay Resort, located east of the proposed site, comprises six oceanfront cottages and other structures. Point No Point, approximately 1.5 km east of Fossil Bay along Highway 14, has 25 rentable cabins along the Salish Sea waterfront.