Applicant's Statement - Brian Richmond
A letter from the property owner justifying the dock design and adherence to environmental guidelines.
Mayor and Council Town of View Royal 45 View Royal Avenue Victoria, BC, V9B 1A6
March 23, 2020
RE: Application for a Dock in Natural Watercourse and Shoreline Development Permit Area Review for 2750 Herbate Road, Victoria, BC, Town of View Royal
Please find attached my development permit application to construct at dock access to McKenzie Lake on my property, 2750 Herbate Road.
The dock is the minimum size required to access the dock and the design meets provincial and federal guidelines for dock construction. A Section 11 Water Sustainability Act Notification Application has been submitted to the Province for a Change Approval and Notification (Changes In and About a Stream) Tracking Number: 100314335.
The dock has been designed to meet the following guidelines for the construction of new and replacement of existing docks and boat launch facilities (Page 171 and 172 View Royal OCP)
i. Docks and wharves should ensure that public access along the shore is maintained, and should serve multiple users as much as possible rather than one dock per property. - Another dock is not available for me to share. ii. Design, size and location of docks and wharves should not limit opportunities for water access for neighbouring private properties. - The proposed dock does not affect neighbour property’s water access. iii. Private docks and wharves should be designed to provide access to the water and seasonal boating opportunities, rather than sized to facilitate year round moorage of boats. - The dock is designed to provide lake access and will not be used for year-round boat moorage. iv. Docks and wharves should be sited to avoid impacts on sensitive ecosystems such as eelgrass beds, fish habitat, and natural processes such as currents and littoral drift. - The dock has been located in an area that minimizes the effect on native vegetation, only a small amount of native vegetation will be trimmed for the installation. v. Docks should be constructed in a manner that permits the free flow of water beneath. Supports should be located on a hard substrate. - The dock will allow free flow of water underneath and the supports will be 6”x6” posts with cross braces. vi. Floating docks should not rest on the bottom at any time and a minimal, moveable ramp should be utilized to connect the dock with the shore rather than a fixed wharf or pier. - The fixed dock will be connected by a ramp to a floating section which will not rest on the bottom. vii. Piers and pilings and floating docks are preferred over solid-core piers. - The dock will use pilings. viii. Docks should be constructed of stable materials that will not degrade over time. The use of unenclosed plastic foam or the use of creosote treated pilings is strongly discouraged. - The dock will be constructed of untreated yellow cedar and enclosed foam floats.
Lehna Malmkvist, MSc, RPBio has provided an environmental review and environmental protection measures for the project in her March 23, 2020 report from Swell Environmental Consulting Ltd.
The construction of the lake access dock is the minimum required for the purpose, and will have the smallest possible impact on the shoreline, submerged vegetation and wildlife of the riparian area. The dock will be constructed by Winrich Cedar from untreated yellow cedar and enclosed foam floats. This design minimizes construction impact because it will be assembled and installed on site by hand, using a hand-held pile driver, without the use of cranes or heavy equipment.
The length of the dock is 38m, and configuration is shown in Figure 4.
- Elevated boardwalk footprint = 36m2
- Ramp footprint = 3m2
- Floating footprint = 27m2
- Total Footprint = 66m2
Materials:
- Floats: encapsulated foam
- Decking: 2"x 6" yellow cedar decking with 1/4" gaps
- Supports: 6” x 6” yellow cedar posts with cross braces
- Connectors: powder coated screws
The dock is not expected to have an effect on the immediate neighbours, the dock is proposed in the centre of the shoreline on the property, so it is the maximum distance from the property line. The dock is in keeping with the neighbourhood character, most of the properties on the lake have a single dock to access the lake.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Brian Richmond, Owner, 2750 Herbate Road