The Sept. 12 public hearing on the Gateway Shopping Centre proposal is expected to attract a huge crowd, and so it should 鈥� this is a project that could have a major impact on Sidney and adjacent areas.
The hearing will guide Sidney town councillors as they vote on bylaws concerning the proposed $35-million development at Beacon Avenue and the Pat Bay Highway. Councillors will undoubtedly get an earful 鈥� the project has generated some vociferous opposition.
And for good reason. This isn鈥檛 merely a matter of putting up a new building or two. This development could change the character of Sidney and the viability of its downtown business district.
Sidney and its merchants have worked long and hard to maintain the small-town, friendly character, and they have succeeded. The downtown is charming and accessible, its attractive waterfront adding immeasurable value.
But commercial life is not all roses in Sidney-by-the-Sea. A major mall on the town鈥檚 outskirts would draw business away from a downtown that is already dotted with empty storefronts. Merchants have reason to fear the downtown decay that could result from customers flocking to a mall along the highway. It鈥檚 a story that has played out through countless cities in North America.
Sidney merchants face a double threat 鈥� the 100,000-square-foot Gateway proposal is one of two commercial developments proposed for the area. Sandown Commons is proposed at up to 160,000 square feet a few blocks away in North Saanich.
An Urbanics study done for Omicron, Gateway鈥檚 developer, at the request of the town, determined that the project would have a net economic benefit, creating jobs, generating taxes and attracting shoppers to Sidney with retail businesses new to the town.
But the report also admits a downside.
鈥淭he proposed Gateway development does compete with existing retailers to some degree and will inevitably result in some transfer of sales dollars in some retail categories,鈥� the study said.
It makes sense to bring in new businesses where there is a demand, but it鈥檚 painful to small, independent stores when the existing business pie is carved into more pieces, with chain stores taking the bigger portions and pulling traffic away from Main Street.
And speaking of traffic, the Gateway and Sandown developments will increase pressure on an area already busy with airport and ferry-terminal traffic.
A plus is that the developer proposes to build a pedestrian overpass over the highway, which would alleviate some of the safety concerns. Yet Sidney would be far better served by an overpass at James White Boulevard, giving west-side children much easier access to Sidney Elementary.
Will either of the two proposed shopping centres be viable? Will they succeed in drawing trade away from, say, the Uptown shopping mall in Saanich, the Mayfair Mall in Victoria or the cluster of big-box stores in Langford?
That鈥檚 not a question Sidney town council can answer, nor should it try. The viability of businesses is a problem for the businesses themselves; the councillors鈥� responsibility is to ensure bylaws are adhered to and that concerns such as traffic and safety are addressed.
Nevertheless, a posting on the town鈥檚 website about the Sept. 12 hearing reflects the potential impacts of the Gateway project.
鈥淕iven the high level of importance of this decision, it is essential that every effort is made to ensure all of council is able to attend this meeting,鈥� says the posting.
Sidney merchants have reason to be nervous about a new mall along the highway. On the other hand, one mall looks like another, and Sidney鈥檚 downtown is charmingly unique, a pleasant place for shopping, strolling or a meal. No mall can duplicate that.
