February 6, 2026

BY EMAIL:

Mayor and Councillors

Town of Qualicum Beach, BC

Dear Mayor and Councillors:

“Although no neighbourhood should be exempt from change, no neighbourhood should be unrecognizable to someone returning after a decade.”

per: Charles Marohn, Escaping the Housing Trap Established in 1991, the Eaglecrest Residents’ Association is mandated in part to:

“Support only those developments, zoning and land use proposals that are consistent with the natural aesthetics of Eaglecrest and in keeping with its residential nature.”

In response to the Town’s intention to acquire the lands of the Eaglecrest golf course, The Association fulfilled this mandate by determining a community consensus through:

• dissemination of timely and accurate information;

• encouraging and monitoring member discourse;

• organizing community forums;

• proactive interaction with Council and staff.

Having engaged its 325 member households and greater Eaglecrest community, the Association has determined a community consensus on ”Eaglecrest Revisioning” to be:

Eaglecrest must continue with the vision that has guided its development over five decades – a low density residential neighbourhood integrated with a golf course, with protected recreational green space.

This consensus has been a constant in prior Official Community Plans and continued in the 2025 OCP with:

Objectives: OCP Goals of Complete, Compact Community Land Uses, Low-impact Transportation, Healthy Landscapes, Green Buildings, Sense of Place and Diversity of Housing.

4.1.1: Residential development should take place primarily in the “Village Neighbourhood” where developments benefit from existing services .

4.1.2 (a): To maintain lower housing densities in residential areas outside the Village Neighbourhood.

4.1.3 (a): To ensure that the scale and character of medium density residential development is compatible with existing small-scale residential uses and the village character of the Town.

4.9:(a): To support the development of a system of recreational amenities that provide a wide range of recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

4.9.5: Protect Town’s network of open spaces in perpetuity including:

… Eaglecrest Golf Course.

With the Town’s adoption of the Spectrum of Public Participation developed by the

International Association of Public Participation to:

Inform – Provide the public with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives and/or solutions.

Consult – Obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decision.

Involve – Work directly with the public throughout the process to ensure concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered.

Collaborate – Partner with the public in each aspect of the decisions including the development of the preferred solution.

the Association will be active in monitoring adherence to these principles and intervening, where necessary, to ensure the Eaglecrest Revisioning includes:

Neighbourhood Plan

– complies with the objectives of the 2025 OCP;

– requires development to be compatible with the community’s existing form and character;

– mitigates negative impact on existing development;

– identifies community wide post-development service and transportation infrastructure with the requirement for pre-development completion;

– provides permanent protection for all parkland/green space;

– ensures a prohibition on commercial development.

Transportation Plan

– providing a comprehensive study of existing internal/external traffic patterns;

– is consistent with the Town’s Active Transportation Plan both vehicular and pedestrian objectives/policies;

– assures post-development improvements are completed pre-development including and specifically a controlled intersection at Village Way/Country Club Drive/ Hwy 19A .

Parkland

– assures permanent dedication of:

– lands covered by the Christopher Foundation donation,

– the pan-handle lands running south from Royal Dornoch

– all lands currently identified for golf course use

– responsibly addresses environmental concerns in support of the existing habitat

– incorporates amenities ensuring a wide range of recreational opportunities for all ages and abilities.

Financial Implications

It must be noted that Eaglecrest residents live next to publicly owned recreational lands and enjoy no special or favoured access to the use of the golf course or the adjacent proposed parklands. These lands are a public amenity available for the use and enjoyment of all the citizens of Qualicum Beach, not just the residents of Eaglecrest and therefore to be shared equitably among all its users.

The “Proposed 2026 Budget and Financial Plans” currently before Council have exposed the inequitable and untenable financial frailty of the acquisition. This is not a sustainable model and Council must abandon it in favour of one which accounts for the current and future financial capacity of the Town and safeguards against the uncertainties of real estate volatility.

The Association looks forward to working with Council and staff to achieve a sustainable outcome that:

– preserves the character, quality of life and property values of Eaglecrest;

– respects the objectives of the 2025 Official Community Plan;

– builds on the legacy of green space and recreational amenities that benefits all residents of Qualicum Beach and its visitors.

Respectfully submitted,

Eaglecrest Residents’ Association

Board of Directors