Frustration is mounting for residents along Sooke Road who say the province's plan to acquire pieces of their properties has been kept secret.
The province’s proposal is to improve safety and reduce congestion along Highway 14.
In January, residents were visited by government officials who presented them with plans and told them how much land they might be looking to purchase.
The plan proposes an expansion of the current highway to create a four-lane road, which starts just before Connie Road and connects to Glinz Lake Road.
“I don’t know what it’s like for everyone else whose land is getting expropriated,” said Sooke resident Kindra Hodgkinson. “But to watch this happen… it’s not right, it’s not fair.”
Hodgkinson and her husband, Michael, aren’t the only ones frustrated with the lack of transparency in a process they’re calling unfair.
“[The province] hasn’t answered any of our questions,” Hodgkinson said. “We don’t have any idea of what they’re looking to do with our property.”
Mike and Maureen Simms are also affected and say they have reached out for clarification several times, with little to no reply.
“We’re in the dark completely,” Mike told CTV News Tuesday. “There are a lot of properties involved and people won’t be able to just sell a bit of their property. In some cases whole houses will have to go.”
That is the case for one resident who chose not to speak to CTV News. Neighbours say the province is expropriating her entire property, including her house. An appraisal was done of her land, and she is expecting a written offer in the coming weeks.
CTV News reached out to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Tuesday, asking for confirmation of the proposal.
“The alignment has not been confirmed and funding has not yet been secured for future improvement projects,” the ministry said.
Residents say that during government officials’ visits, they were shown maps of the proposal which they say were different from those released by the province in June 2018.
After receiving new information from residents regarding the proposal, CTV got back to the ministry requesting concept drawings.
“Property discussions are confidential and the ministry is not able to provide details at this time, again out of fairness to land owners. More information should be available in the coming weeks,” the ministry said.
For now, residents say they’re stuck waiting for the province to make its next move.
The proposed realignment is one part of a multi-stage plan, which also addresses parking and transit concerns along the busy road.
