Cowichan Bay Village, House painting in a dignified setting.
CVRD, Residents in Concert.
Area Director Iannidinardo Still Sounds Sour Notes.
The CVRD wants to settle issues regarding zoning, Village float home owners and marina owners want to co-operate in that process, yet area director Lori Iannidinardo is indirectly quoted in a recent Cowichan News Leader Pictorial article saying:
Iannidinardo explained the sewage hook-up issue is a sore point among some residents claiming they should continue dumping into the eco-sensitive bay, despite upper-government rules.
“It’s an emotional issue, it’s their home; I get that but, we all have to take responsibility.”
Resident Representative Julie Salisbury meanwhile said:
“Residents want to hook up, noted Salisbury, “and the CVRD is doing everything to hook us up. Actually, only a small number aren’t hooked up.” Costs of legally connecting to sewage pump-outs, owned by bay marinas, were unknown. Still, it’s worth the money, signaled Salisbury. “People come here to see our floathomes, and visit our Cittaslow community,” she said of the bay’s official ‘slow city’ designation. “We hope the CVRD lets us work with them on (connection) solutions that makes sense. Bring it on.”
The small number of residents not currently connected to sewers find themselves in that state not because they don’t want to hook up, but because the connections have never been made available. The issue has been so neglected over the years, that one marina simply went ahead and connected float homes to it’s boat pump out station, while another bought several “sewer units” at market value, flow capacity they are now not being permitted to use. As mentioned in an earlier article here, the pipes that run beneath Cowichan Bay Road are more than capable of handling the situation. The political atmosphere up to now, has not.
Elsewhere in the article, which appeared on October 15th, Iannidinardo has this to say:
“Right now, there are no floathomes allowed in the bay. We’re just not saying ‘Everyone out,’ said Iannidinardo, predicting a floathome zone inside several months. There’s attainable (floathome) housing in the bay, but it has to be dignified.”
Dignified.
Currently unable to attain expected standards in personal deportment, our living is evidently not gracious enough to merit Iannidinardo’s approval. Apparently our area director feels we now need lessons in dignity. In her view, standards need to be set.
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We can thank our lucky stars that in this debate we have at least two points in our favour.
First, that the Official Community Plan process showed general approval by all area D voters for a residential presence on the water of Cowichan Bay.
Second, that we have in the CVRD a group of people who are actually willing to rationally sit down and entertain the idea of moving forward on this issue.
It appears in spite of her occasional remarks to the contrary, that Lady Lori still doesn’t get it. It would sure be nice to finally get the chance to report otherwise.
Much of the Island , including Victoria and much of the CVRD other than float homes and marine abodes, is apparently discharging untreated sewage into the sea. So far this does not appear to have caused a problem for Human health, and is probably less of an issue than livestock generated E coli which washes into rivers and watersheds as well as the sea from farms on the Island. I was just wondering if there is a proposed bylaw ordering the toilet training of cattle and hookups for barns and fields?