Community letters etc and Infill Impact Information required
How can the Oak Bay community debate a major Infill Zoning change without:
The Municipal Meetings held in Saanich on September 10th, 2016, were billed as Open House “Infill Strategy Meetings” with “Questions and Answers”. While there were many questions, the consultants seemed unprepared to answer them. What was provided however, during both the morning and afternoon two-hour sessions, was what amounted to an infill design presentation and a series of unproven community benefits.
The list of benefits included some that would attract a limited number of residents and potential buyers and renters. Curiously, no information was provided about the risks involved for the general community. Risks and impacts have been well documented by infill communities throughout BC and they are ongoing. This leads us to believe that Council’s attitude and planning process seems to be: Lets do all this infill densification and see what happens.
Fortunately many of those attending the Infill Design presentations had done their own research and/ or had personal experience with the impacts of infill development. As a result, the great majority of speakers were strongly opposed to infill development. They provided compelling arguments for not permitting this form of intense densification in Oak Bay’s single-family neighbourhoods.
Clearly needed are some sit-down, town hall collaborative meetings with staff; similar to those that have been hosted by Council for the development community. Community meetings are required that provide both the benefits and disadvantages, as provided recently to Uplands residents about the separation of their sewer system. Council repeatedly states that there will be lots of community collaborative engagement opportunities, but they seem a long time in coming. As the process of what the Official Community Plan references as, “Consider infill development” moves along, it appears that the community may get shut out. One must ask why the Advisory Planning Commission, voluntary and non-political, was not mandated to be involved.
As there has been no opportunity to date for adequate public engagement and a new round of questionable surveys is coming, Oak Bay Watch is providing a number of letters and presentations from residents that have been received, several have been published. For more letters and publications see oakbaywatch.com / Publications. They explain some of the concerns residents have about both Infill Development in our Community and, the problems with Council’s current process.
If you have found our Newsletters helpful in understanding the governance of our community at this critical time, a donation to further our efforts would be greatly appreciated. We must maintain and improve our website and print leaflets for distribution at public meetings. It is also our intention, either alone or with other like-minded groups, to host public meetings and panels with seasoned speakers.
Please Donate /by Credit Card or PayPal / Donate at bottom of Main Page.
Although Oak Bay Watch is a non-profit community organization, we are not able to issue receipts for tax purposes.
See letters linked below.
Community Organization: Friends of Oak Bay Neighbourhoods Letter
Letter Oak Bay News, July 2, 2016
Letter: From concerned resident Sept 6th, 2016
Official Community Plan Submission to Council
How can the Oak Bay community debate a major Infill Zoning change without:
- Evidence-based impact data?
- Examples of successful infill communities?
- Information as to how previous survey findings were obtained and their methodology?
The Municipal Meetings held in Saanich on September 10th, 2016, were billed as Open House “Infill Strategy Meetings” with “Questions and Answers”. While there were many questions, the consultants seemed unprepared to answer them. What was provided however, during both the morning and afternoon two-hour sessions, was what amounted to an infill design presentation and a series of unproven community benefits.
The list of benefits included some that would attract a limited number of residents and potential buyers and renters. Curiously, no information was provided about the risks involved for the general community. Risks and impacts have been well documented by infill communities throughout BC and they are ongoing. This leads us to believe that Council’s attitude and planning process seems to be: Lets do all this infill densification and see what happens.
Fortunately many of those attending the Infill Design presentations had done their own research and/ or had personal experience with the impacts of infill development. As a result, the great majority of speakers were strongly opposed to infill development. They provided compelling arguments for not permitting this form of intense densification in Oak Bay’s single-family neighbourhoods.
Clearly needed are some sit-down, town hall collaborative meetings with staff; similar to those that have been hosted by Council for the development community. Community meetings are required that provide both the benefits and disadvantages, as provided recently to Uplands residents about the separation of their sewer system. Council repeatedly states that there will be lots of community collaborative engagement opportunities, but they seem a long time in coming. As the process of what the Official Community Plan references as, “Consider infill development” moves along, it appears that the community may get shut out. One must ask why the Advisory Planning Commission, voluntary and non-political, was not mandated to be involved.
As there has been no opportunity to date for adequate public engagement and a new round of questionable surveys is coming, Oak Bay Watch is providing a number of letters and presentations from residents that have been received, several have been published. For more letters and publications see oakbaywatch.com / Publications. They explain some of the concerns residents have about both Infill Development in our Community and, the problems with Council’s current process.
If you have found our Newsletters helpful in understanding the governance of our community at this critical time, a donation to further our efforts would be greatly appreciated. We must maintain and improve our website and print leaflets for distribution at public meetings. It is also our intention, either alone or with other like-minded groups, to host public meetings and panels with seasoned speakers.
Please Donate /by Credit Card or PayPal / Donate at bottom of Main Page.
Although Oak Bay Watch is a non-profit community organization, we are not able to issue receipts for tax purposes.
See letters linked below.
Community Organization: Friends of Oak Bay Neighbourhoods Letter
Letter Oak Bay News, July 2, 2016
Letter: From concerned resident Sept 6th, 2016
Official Community Plan Submission to Council