Letter dated April 25, 2018 from D. Ashmore Re: Elements Casino Variance Requests

Re: Elements Casino Variance Requests

I would like to express my disappointment in council’s decision to go ahead with the signage at the Elements Casino in View Royal

Information has been brought to the council’s attention that the sign in question is directly pointed The Coho Condominiums located at 286 and 290 Wilfert Road. This sign will negatively impact all who live here regardless of the any BTU’s coming from the sign. In a previous meeting Chris Lynn stated that the signage would not be directed toward the Coho Condominiums but directly at traffic traveling on the Island highway. There was documented proof which council received that shows this particular sign is positioned directly towards the condominium building and not at oncoming traffic. This would mean that Chris Lynn not only lied to the Council but to everyone who attended the meeting. Council did receive all of this information and yet has obviously disregarded all of these facts.

Local residence have taken the time out of their busy schedules to attend several of the meetings regarding this issue as well as provided documentation and over 70 signatures against this particular sign. This information included the fact that the sign will negatively impact at least 92 families in the area. It is obvious that this information has been completely ignored by the council.

This council was voted in on its platform of ‘residence first’ which you did not take into consideration with your decision. Are there not also the dark sky bylaws in the municipality? This would be another issue, which has also been ignored, and by making this decision you have set up precedence for the other businesses in the area

When citizens arrived to attend the meeting on April 17th 2018, it was to hear a conversation between Chris Lynn, the Great Canadian gaming corporations executive director for Vancouver Island and three council members where they were asked if they received their tickets to the upcoming grand opening at the casino. That was certainly a slap in the face to hear that members of council are accepting gifts when there is obvious controversy. I believe that this is definitely a conflict of interest by council excepting gifts under the circumstances.

In the end there is absolutely no reason why the Casino needs this type of sign in the first place. It is completely unnecessary from a business point of view because it doesn’t need to have this form of advertising to succeed. In the end it will prove to be nothing more then a nuisance to residence and just one more distraction to drivers. I hope that council is prepared for all of the complaints that they will be receiving because of this particular sign, especially with the knowledge that it could have all been prevented.

I am personally not interested in a council that has demonstrated an obvious poor lack of judgment and has obviously put business before the people who live in the community, especially from a council that made a promise that apparently put residence first.

Regards,

D. Ashmore