A vision for Colwood's waterfront
Colwood Council has no plans to expand commercial services at the waterfront at this time.
Over the coming years, Council intends to encourage a gradual shift of social activity to Royal Beach, with the Lagoon area remaining a natural feature.
Currently the City makes food available on Ocean Boulevard for beach visitors on weekends during the busy summer months. It is not uncommon for communities to provide a "concession service" at parks and beaches, such as at Willows Beach in Oak Bay for example. Because construction of a concession building is not supported in this location, the City allows for a limited number of food service providers to purchase a permit to offer refreshments to visitors at designated times.
To support this shift, Colwood Council envisions a multi-use pathway to protect sensitive areas and guide visitors thoughtfully through the Lagoon area to Royal Beach for social activities. The pathway will provide a safe space for visitors on foot or bicycle, separate from vehicles, and that encourages natural areas of less disturbance.
"As Royal Beach develops it will be the place people want to go for waterfront dining, events and activities, and Council is setting the stage for that shift by not expanding upon activity currently supported at the Lagoon," said Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi. "Our goal is to allow the Lagoon area to continue to be the natural jewel while providing an incredible experience for visitors passing through on a multi-use pathway along the waterfront to Royal Beach."
Royal Beach has plans in place to develop into a vibrant seaside village with eateries, event spaces, shops, services, incredible parks and new waterfront living options. Read more at RoyalBeach.ca
Considering other activities
With respect to the sauna service, the operator was doing business on Ocean Boulevard in January without a permit. Rather than displace the service without notice, the City put a "special event permit" in place to give Council time to consider the matter. The operator was advised on February 28 that Council would be discussing it on March 13, at which time the decision was made to connect the operator with other potential locations in Colwood and let the permit expire on March 31. This gave the operator a month to make arrangements for alternate locations for his mobile business.
Media Contact
Sandra Russell, Communications Manager
srussell@colwood.ca
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