Sooke is one step closer to bowling strikes and picking up spares following a March 24 council vote, which initiated a future public hearing on the proposed project.
Council reviewed an application to rezone 6727 West Coast Rd., which is currently classified as a large residential lot, for general commercial use. The vision for the property is to construct a restaurant and bowling alley.
“I think this is great. We are dying for more commercial space,” said Coun. Megan McMath.
The Almhanna family, who arrived in Sooke in 2016 after fleeing Syria during the civil war, initiated the idea last year and put forward the proposal.
"Bowling is very popular because everyone can do it, from kids to seniors, and there aren't a lot of activities in Sooke like that," Luis Almhanna told Sooke News Mirror last year.
Most councillors supported the rezoning proposal, who thought more commercial space in the area was warranted.
“It’s in our town core, it's currently residential, which is kind of a waste of commercial property. It’s C2 [Commercial] to the west, C2 to the east,” said Coun. Pearson.
Coun. Al Beddows criticized the project for lacking information on a parking plan and other building details.
“Here we are proposing a bowling alley, and how many people are going to be using it? Where’s the parking plan? I’d love to have a bowling alley, I'd love to have a restaurant in town, but the applicant doesn’t really speak to the parking part of it other than it's downtown and everybody can walk and ride to it,” Beddows said.
“I cannot support this the way it is. Is this a two-storey building? A three-storey? Where is the restaurant? Where is the car park? There is nothing here, I am really disillusioned to see it in this state.”
Staff assured Beddows that such details would be cemented during the development permit phase. Beddows emphasized his issues were not with the concept or the rezoning application but rather the process by which projects are approved, allowing for a proposal lacking detail to be brought forward.
While council voted to give first and second readings to the bylaw rezoning the future site and opted to move forward with a public hearing, the bowling alley remains conceptual, and rezoning will not guarantee its construction. Further details on the project will be discussed when the development permit phase is reached.
Residents will have the opportunity to speak at the public hearing, which will soon be scheduled by district staff.
