NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROVES A TOUGH SELL

Public Opposition Stymies Search For New Site, But City Eases Zoning Issues

A new location for the controversial Victoria needle exchange still
hasn't been nailed down, says the man trying to help AIDS Vancouver
Island with finding a new site.

Keyvan Shojania said yesterday that locating a place has been
"tougher than I thought," and while he has narrowed down some
possible locations, he declined to name them for fear it would
generate public opposition.

Members of a group calling itself the Rock Bay Business Coalition
have joined together to resist relocation of the needle exchange in that area.

John Hopper, who is also associated with the Rock Bay Ratepayers
Association, said he hopes the group will be asked before any
exchange is moved there.

Shojania said the city has told him the only zoning they will
consider for a needle exchange is called M2-I. There are about 50
sites in Victoria with that zoning, but after eliminating those close
to residential buildings, "It cuts down the list by quite a bit."
Most of the M2-I zones are in the Rock Bay area, but a few are closer
to downtown, said Shojania.

"No one will actually want it in their area," said Shojania, a lawyer
and developer. "The question will be how many people or properties
are affected and how much are they affected. The area they are in now
in has an enormous effect."

The needle exchange is at the corner of Blanshard and Cormorant
streets. Over the years, an increase in the number of clients, along
with drug addicts shifting to crystal meth from heroin, has fuelled
friction between the social agency and its commercial and residential
neighbours.

Shojania said the discarded needles left in the area is just one
issue: "The place is a magnet for a particularly anti-social type of
person." If the needle exchange reduces costly diseases as Vancouver
Island Health Authority says it does, then VIHA should be able to
provide better funding to the program to minimize impact on
neighbours, Shojania said.

Yesterday, city council agreed to call a public hearing on rezoning
more properties in the Rock Bay area properties to M2-I. Alison
Meyer, city planner, said the changes are to eliminate heavy
industrial uses that are no longer appropriate in the neighbourhood.
Under the existing zoning, property owners could have blast furnaces,
fish packing, and storage of damaged vehicles on site. Those uses
won't be allowed under the M2-I zone. Meyer said it did not limit
uses such as a needle exchange or safe-injection site.

Coun. Pam Madoff said she's concerned that if the zoning is in place
it will preclude council from having a say in where the needle
exchange is relocated.

Mayor Alan Lowe said, "Sometimes that is to our benefit." He added
the needle exchange "isn't going to take any site." He later said he
was unaware of new locations under consideration.

Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe said city staff is working to develop a
"good-neighbour policy" with the needle exchange that would transfer
to any new location. The properties under consideration for M2-I
zoning include: 630 Queens Ave., 601-623 Government St., 1950
Government, 530 Chatham St., 1907 Store St., and two-thirds of the
block bounded by Discovery, Pembroke and Government streets, and east
of Sports Traders at 508 Discovery St.

Hopper said he is unclear why the city is initiating the zoning, as
the neighborhood is in the process of developing a new official
community plan. He'd like the area to develop into a design district.

"What are they telling us about the evolution for Rock Bay with these
rezoning changes?" Hopper asked.

The staff report said the rezoning would place the properties in "a
workable interim holding zone" until the ultimate direction for Rock
Bay can be decided.