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News

TeeReview Wednesday, May 6, 1992 — A19

Michell still teeing up for Pioneer golf course in C. Saanich

by Randy Allen
The Review

Now that provincial Agricultural
Minister Bill Barlee has dispensed
with the remaining golf course
developments held in a morato-
rium, a Peninsula developer is
getting back on course.

Maurice Michell plans to con-
tinue pursuing the development of
an 18-hole, par 64, golf course on
his farm in Central Saanich,
despite the fact his project still
falls under the moratorium regula-
tion.

“T just want the public to know
that we still want to put a golf
course in,” said Michell, who
thinks the item should go before
the municipal council in the next
few weeks.

Because his proposal involves
land in the Agricultural Land
Reserve, certain conditions have to
be met.

One is to prove the development
does not deprive the region of
productive farmland; the reason

why the government imposed the
moratonum last November

Michell had already completed
this step, prior to the moratonum,
as he had hired a soil expert to test
the productivity of his Jand.

It was determined the soil had a
high clay content, which made it
next to impossible to grow any
profitable crops, said Michell.

“There’s hardly any topsoil
here,” he said. “It’s mostly clay
and we can’t grow anything we
could profit from.”

Currently he grows hay grass,
which he says earns enough to just
pay the taxes on the land.

He first presented the idea in
September 1988 and, despite run-
ning into a “few minor setbacks,”
he thinks the proposal should meet
the criteria set out by the various
levels of government and receive
approval.

“We want to make sure every-
thing is together and we’ve coy-
ered all the bases before we con-
tinue with the application,” said
Michell.

Rae

=

=

(ABOVE) MAURICE MICHELL siffs through the type of clay

filled soil that restricts the productivity and agricultural
viablility of his Central Saanich farm.

(BELOW) THE PROPOSED Pioneer Valley golf course, if
approved, will be an 18 hole, Par 64 course. The short
course is designed for a relatively easy game of golf with
every hole under 400 yards long.

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Another condition that stalled
his project was that it had to be
approved at the municipal level
por to the moratorium.

His application did receive first
reading in Central Saanich coun-
cil, but, before further considera-

tion could be given to the pro-

posed executive course (Shorter
than a championship course),
Michell had to conduct the soil
study:

And, before the results from that
were brought to council the mora-
torlum was introduced.

Michell said the community

will benefit more if his develop-
ment is allowed to proceed.
“More tax money will be gener-
ated, property values near the
course should increase and other
related businesses will profit from
a local golf course,” Michell said.

Employment opportunities
created to staff the course would
also contribute to the area’s econ-
omy.

Michell said his course, which
he will call Pioneer Valley Execu-
tive Golf Course, has received a lot
of encouragement from the com-

munity:

“Tt doesn’t matter where I go,”
he said. “People ask me, “When
are you going to build that dam
golf course?” ~

He figures it should take about
two years to build and be ready for
the first drive, from the time he
receives final approval.

Until then, he can only wait and
hope all the pieces are finally in
place. And if not, he said he’ll try
again.

“Sometimes I wake up in the
moming and tell myself, “Maurice
your nuts!” ”

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