Dragonfly Commons – An Affordable Neighbourhood on Salt Spring Island

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Dragonfly Commons is a local, not-for-profit initiative to bring about an innovative solution to our local workforce housing crisis. The goal is to provide affordable home ownership in a secluded eco-friendly development on Drake Road, walking distance to Ganges.

The project proposes to create 30 small detached houses ranging in size from 450 – 850 sq/ft on a 10.5 acre property. The property is owned by couple Fernando and Tami dos Santos who are spearheading a planning team of highly qualified and motivated individuals to help realize this vision.

Who is this project for?

We are focusing on creating an affordable neighbourhood for a diverse community of working people on Salt Spring with a range from low to middle-income levels.

The criteria is still evolving but will prioritize Salt Spring residents with employment on Salt Spring, especially in the health-care & social services field.

Blog

August 23, 2021August 23, 2021

Front page article in the Driftwood newspaper

There was an article in the August 11, 2021 Driftwood newspaper entitled “Dragonfly project jumps hoops”. Here is the link to the online article: https://www.gulfislandsdriftwood.com/news/dragonfly-commons-optimistic-about-progress/

August 12, 2021August 25, 2021

AAPC approved

After first reading, the rezoning bylaw gets referred out to many different agencies for their review. We were on the agenda of the AAPC (Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission) online meeting on August 12, 2021. After some clarification from Geordie Gordon, the Trust planner for Dragonfly, the AAPC board voted unanimously in favour of the Dragonfly …

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August 4, 2021August 25, 2021

Email update sent out

We are excited to announce that Dragonfly Commons, after a long period of hibernation, is finally starting to make significant progress on our affordable housing project. It has been a dispiritingly slow couple of years but things have really started to happen, as you will see from the contents of this update. After having …

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About Us

Our initial hardworking and resourceful steering committee included members with background in affordable housing, law, financing, architecture, project planning, computer science, geology, etc.

In 2017, we become an incorporated non-profit society and elected board members who are experienced in affordable housing on Salt Spring Island and bring a diverse set of skills and experience.

Board of Directors of Dragonfly Commons Housing Society
Fernando Dos Santos
Tami Dos Santos
Kisae Petersen
Ron Cooke
Robin Williams
Rhonan Heitzmann

Initial Steering Committee:
Chas Belknap
Ron Cooke
Jean Gelwicks
Donald Gunn
Rhonan Heitzmann
Peter Lamb
Jane Patterson
Kisae Petersen
Cora Platz
Robin Williams

We are working with the Salt Spring Housing Council to support all the affordable housing projects that are underway and to increase awareness of the housing crisis on Salt Spring.