Once it's gone it's gone for good.

That's what neighbours are saying of plans to build offices and condos over green space in order to subsidize supported housing.

"This property is our last opportunity to have a playground and a public space," said Korene Touney of the Mount View Colquitz community association.

In late October, the Capital Regional District unveiled plans for more than 400 units of supported seniors' housing on the old Mount View school lot.

Thirty-six of these units are slated to house elderly homeless. The remainder of the lot will be dedicated to park space (16 per cent) and market development (roughly 25 per cent).

The park is not adequate, said Torney at an open house held Thursday to discuss the plans. She wants market development wiped from the plan in order to preserve what little green space remains in this rapidly-densifying neighbourhood.

But Gwyn Symmons of City Spaces Planning says offices and condos are needed to offset the costs of a 244-bed residential care facility, financed by the taxpayer.

"We're trying to get underground parking because the community said they don't want surface parking (which is the cheaper option)," Symmons said.

"It's hard to make the park significantly bigger," he said. "What we've tried to do is put the buildings in a park-like setting."

Symmons hopes to present the plans to council in December to obtain approval to rezone the land.

Coun. Vic Derman attended the open house held Thursday to discuss plans with neighbours.

"This neighbourhood is not the riches in terms of parks," admitted Derman, adding, "(supportive housing) is something, in terms of facilities being provided, that the region desperately needs."

The Capital Regional District, which owns the land, recently appointed Cool Aid Society to operate the homeless housing.

"There's a lot of fear that when (neighbours) hear Cool Aid's name, they equate it with the transient shelter downtown," said John Crean, housing director for the society. "That's not what we're going to be bringing to anyone's neighbourhood. This is permanent stable housing for seniors who are at risk of being homeless or who are homeless."

Having the homeless move in next door, however, isn't a big concern for Dave Shroynen who is raising his daughter across the street.

The difference between a younger transient homeless population and seniors is "night and day," he said.

His main concern is for the park.

"I like the field; I like the view of the mountains; I see the people running their dogs," he said.

rholmen@saanichnews.com

The plan: three-pronged housing for seniors of different care needs

- 244-unit residential care facility, operated by Baptist Housing Ministries and potentially funded by the Vancouver Island Health Authority and the Capital Regional Health District.

- 129-unit independent living facility, operated by Baptist Housing Ministries and privately funded.

- 36 units of homeless housing, operated by the Cool Aid Society and funded by B.C. Housing

For more information about the plan, visit www.crd.bc.ca.