Condos eyed for Brentwood Bay Lodge

Brentwood Bay Lodge wants to add six condominiums to its luxury hotel, following a trend that is becoming the norm in new hotels.

The plan to build the six units goes to public hearing at Central Saanich council chambers on Wednesday.

Owner Dan Behune sees it as a way to have larger units available at the five-star hotel, and provide buyers with a chance at a waterfront vacation home.

"It's a win-win situation for people looking for vacation properties and the hotel, so we can have larger, more luxurious units," Behune said.

The development would need a rezoning to change the property at 7164 Brentwood Dr. to a special new hotel/residential zone on the 1,250-square-metre lot with its 23 metres of waterfront.

Behune and architect Ron Lea envision a three-storey, six-unit residential villa, next door to the Brentwood Bay Lodge but separate from it. It would have two units on each floor of about 1,825 square feet each, with two bedrooms and a den.

The architectural style, colours, materials and finishes would match those on the lodge, including resawn cedar and heavy fir beams.

The public boardwalk along the foreshore by the lodge would also extend in front of the new building.

Behune also wants to extend the existing dock to create four larger boat slips to accommodate larger yachts coming into the inlet.

Strata hotel units allow the owners to use the property when they want, and to put it into the general hotel pool for rental when they're not there.

"We see people buying these units as being from Alberta or Ontario, looking at this as their second or third home," Behune said.

Prices of the units haven't been determined yet, he said, although they would be west-facing waterfront, which isn't likely to be inexpensive.

Studies show that people tend to use their vacation homes an average of eight weeks a year. It makes good sense to buy a place that can provide some income by being in a hotel pool, Behune said. And when owners are there, they have access to all the hotel amenities and services.

Kevin Walker, owner of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel site, said construction costs are so high for full-service hotels that more and more are moving toward a mixed model of hotel rooms, residential or strata hotel units.

Plans for the Oak Bay Beach Hotel include 20 strata units, three of which have been sold, Walker said

Construction work on the Beach Drive site has not started yet.

Walker said he'll have an announcement Feb. 12 on the "go-forward plan" for the development.

Asked about speculation that he has partnered up with a major hotelier, Walker said, "I can't comment on that now, but there will be clarity on Feb. 12."

Source : http://www.canada.com/