For sanity’s sake, limit student housing

Re: “Saanich mayor eyes easing rental restrictions,” Feb. 5.

Having a four-person limit on student housing in Saanich is ideal.

We saw a purpose-built “student oriented” multimillion-dollar home (complete with deadbolts on all bedrooms) built on our sleepy semi-rural Blenkinsop-area street. In the first semester, we had between eight and 10 new faces in this house, complete with six to eight shiny new cars blocking driveways, often parked on the wrong side of the street.

The recycling alone from this one house equalled the output from the rest of the block, with takeout containers being the primary item.

Calls and letters to the Saanich bylaw office quickly sorted out the issue. Kudos to Saanich, as complaints were handled swiftly and efficiently. The house now has no more than four young adults who are not related to each other. It’s a good number. It works.

Please. For the sake of the sanity of Saanich residents, let’s keep this number. If not four, then how many? Our street has seen what a “no limit” household looks like.