Attachment 3: Letter from Minister Claire Trevena regarding Regional handyDART Facility

Re: Regional handyDART Facility

It was good to speak with you on July 31 regarding the construction of a regional handyDART facility at 2401 Burnside Road. I thought our conversation was productive, and I am optimistic that we have a path forward, and that working together with mutual respect, we will be able to ensure this regionally important transit facility is able to proceed. I would also like thank you and your staff for taking the time to meet with ministry staff, BC Transit and MLA Mitzi Dean on July 18, 2019.

As you are aware, timing for this project is critical. Due to ridership growth and investments in new buses, it is imperative that a new handyDART facility be operational by 2023. Without this facility, transit service within the Victoria Regional Transit System (conventional or handyDART) cannot expand, as existing facilities will have reached capacity. To meet the 2023 timeline, construction of a new handyDART facility must commence this fall, otherwise there will be significant impacts to the regional transit system and to the broader transportation system across the region.

I have heard your concerns about designating the land in question as arterial highway and have directed ministry staff to consider, as an alternative, vesting the fee simple title in the subject land to the BC Transportation Authority (BCTFA), and to re-engage with View Royal staff to better understand how View Royal would envision working with BC Transit and the ministry to advance this project to completion and what View Royal’s development process would entail. As you are aware, as is the normal course with projects delivered directly by the ministry or through statutory government agencies such as the BCTFA or BC Transit, when lands are vested as fee simple, local government zoning, permitting and approvals requirements do not bind the project. This said, I am confident that we can work within View Royal’s development processes while maintaining our Province’s statutory rights.

I also wanted to respond to a number of the concerns you and your staff have raised with respect to this project, in hopes of providing you with additional confidence that BC Transit will deliver this project with the utmost of professionalism, and to extremely high standards.

Community Engagement

I appreciate your concern that View Royal residents must have meaningful opportunities to provide input into the project. BC Transit will undertake comprehensive consultation, as is done with any transit project. BC Transit is also confident that they can address reasonable concerns raised through consultation through project design/facility operation. BC Transit will develop a comprehensive engagement plan which would be shared with View Royal staff.

Environmental Protection

I am advised that in delivering this project, BC Transit will meet the requirements of the BC Building Code, provincial regulations regarding streamside protection and enhancement areas and remediation of any potential onsite contamination to relevant provincial standards. Furthermore, I understand BC Transit will meet, or exceed, View Royal's development standards (including View Royal’s streamside protection and enhancement areas) through a comparable project process, noting that BC Transit’s project plan was developed to meet or exceed all of View Royal’s requirements.

Limiting Future Expansion

I am mindful of the concern that has been expressed about future expansion of transit (or other) operations on the subject land. BC Transit has assured me that they have no plans to build a “mega-facility” such as a conventional transit facility, nor does the Province have plans for such development. This parcel of land is significantly encumbered, making future development unrealistic. In fact, the intent is that, as outlined in the project design, this facility would occupy approximately three of the nine acres available.

Possible Accommodation for the Township of View Royal

In response to your specific question “What’s in this for View Royal?”, the following benefits are under consideration as potentially being available in conjunction with this project:

1. Payments, whether in the form of grants in lieu, and/or other contributions are anticipated to be the subject of negotiation between View Royal and BC Transit;
2. Construction undertaken in the spirit of the original proposed project development plan, including reasonable form and character requirements of View Royal;
3. Building to a LEED Gold or equivalent standard, significant protections for the creek, and undertaking other visual improvements such as planting more trees or clearing of invasive plants;
4. Phasing out diesel handyDART buses by 2023, which aligns with the opening of the facility, and the eventual deployment of an electric fleet; and
5. Improvements to the alignment and wayfinding for the Galloping Goose Trail.

While we have heard your concerns, I believe it is necessary to move forward in an open and transparent manner about how the Province and BC Transit would seek to work with View Royal and provide opportunities for collaboration, consultation, and input on various aspects of the project, including side improvements, environmental protections and any accommodations that would be provided to View Royal.

In closing, I cannot stress enough the importance of this facility to the Victoria Regional Transit system and, by consequence, to the broader transportation needs of the region. In recognition of the importance of this project, I have asked that BC Transit and ministry staff continue to seek to engage with View Royal staff over the summer to ensure that we can work towards this project commencing in the fall.

I would also like to thank you for being open and transparent and for articulating View Royal’s concerns. I remain hopeful that we can reach a resolution in a timely manner.

Yours sincerely,

Claire Trevena Minister

Copy to:

Mitzi Dean MLA, Esquimalt-Metchosin

Deborah Bowman, Assistant Deputy Minister Transportation Policy and Programs

Andrea Mercer, Executive Director Transit Branch

Kevin House, A/Executive Director Major Projects, Infrastructure and Properties Department

Susan Brice, Chair Victoria Regional Transit Commission

Erinn Pinkerton, President and CEO BC Transit

Aaron Lamb, Vice President, Asset Management BC Transit