A proposed land swap that would have allowed for the construction of a new and expanded Duncan Manor was rejected by Duncan’s council members who did not want to lose part of Centennial Park.

Instead, Council agreed to help Duncan Housing Society find an alternate location for a new building to replace the aging facility at 200 First St., which requires major repairs and upgrades.

The company provides housing for the elderly and people with disabilities.

The municipality and the company had signed a protocol earlier this year to explore the idea of ​​swapping land so the company could build a new facility on the adjacent parking lots owned by Duncan. The company is said to have traded in a piece of land it owns that is used for lawn bowling.

New access to Centennial Park would have been created and part of the parking lot would have been moved to a green space in the park.

Many Duncan residents balked at the idea, saying they didn’t want the multi-use park affected. Resident Barry Corrin told council the move would result in a net loss of space in the park.

Corrin said there are other suitable places in Duncan.

Resident Mark Anderson called the proposal a “bad deal” and asked council to keep the park as it is. He said the company’s planned six-story facility next to the park would be out of scale compared to the neighborhood.

Com. Garry Bruce said the park must be preserved. “I think the whole neighborhood needs more parks, not less.”

The company said it had so far failed to find a suitable site to build a new facility.

Duncan Manor has 122 units in its three-story building. The company hoped to build a new facility with 131 units. It also aimed to construct a second six-story building on the same site, once the current residents have been relocated to the new facility.

cjwilson@timescolonist.com