Are Development Impacts Destroying Oak Bay’s Ecology?
The evidence, the experts and the indicators all signify the cumulative effect of paving over so many of Oak Bay’s single-family lots with over-built and excessive, lot coverage development has not only caused runoff problems, but severely-lowered the water table. Why is it so important to recognize and address these serious impacts?
The runoff impact problem is obvious: the most recent flooding on December 21/22, 2020 was primarily caused by our “near-end-of-life” infrastructures not being able to cope with the amount of rainfall. This was confirmed by the District both in the Times-Colonist and Oak Bay News as follows:
Times-Colonist December 23, 2020 Front page lead article (see Picture Appendix #1): “Big clean-up for flooded basements after storm”. The District of Oak Bay noted: “The most common flooding incidents involved houses where storm drain pipes were overwhelmed. Manholes could be seen gurgling water because they were full”.
The Oak Bay News Thursday, December the 24, 2020 downplayed the property damage and was less informative. A small page A7 article announced: “Bowker Creek at risk of spilling its banks” and the Administration’s message was, “storm sewer mains backing up due to capacity issues or blockages”.
The water table decline is much less obvious: With no Oak Bay environment oversight committee to advise (the committee was disbanded by the previous majority pro-development Council) and the Planning Department's not tracking the cumulative effects of so much tree, green space and soil filtration destruction, it is easy to see how this serious impact has failed to be recognized.
The significant loss of these natural asset-management resources has led to the many negative impacts on Oak Bay’s environment and ecology.
The District of Oak Bay has a lot of rock: this limits the amount of green space. When a significant amount of critical green space is destroyed the water-table is not replenished.
Studies show the Pacific Northwest with its abundant rainfall is not exempt. Although a higher water table is present in the winter, the long dry spell during the rest of the year can and does lower water tables.
Trees and vegetation need to access water during these dry months – Oak Bay has lost a lot of trees to development in the past 2 decades. Many of the trees that have been allowed to be removed because they were “in poor health”. The Planning Department’s and Park Commission’s report-after-report has noted this tree-health deficiency.
Garry Oaks, and the mature trees of many other species, have life spans of several centuries (Garry Oaks can last on average 400 years). Many of the Planning Department’s development application reports indicate that “poor health” tree conditions justify their removal – yet many, including Garry Oaks, are lasting less than 100 years.
Replacing only the protected trees with 2-for-one saplings is ineffective and a big problem. The District is counting saplings as part of the Urban Forest inventory, but often discounts the room they need to grow and also the time it takes for saplings to reach maturity and provide any benefit, that is if they survive.
There is ample evidence and it has been pointed out in tree symposiums, that tree replacement on new developments is inadequate. As indicated, in many cases there is not enough space and soil for the necessary long taproots and subsequent lateral roots. Tree replacement appears to be just a token gesture to make it seem the Urban Forest is being maintained for benefits that will “materialize” some time in the distant future.
It is not difficult to understand that there is a strong correlation between the amount of over-building and the poor health of trees. The over-building of lots that has gone unchecked in the past 2 decades has taken its toll on Oak Bay’s ecology.
The bottom line is:
As more and more mature trees (natural infrastructure), green space and soil are removed, absorption is reduced however, the water that would have been absorbed now remains on the lot. If the lot is over-built and over-paved the runoff is channeled into our “end-of-life” sewer and storm drains.
The results during heavy rainfall periods, like the one that Oak Bay just experienced, are the inadequate storm drains backup, flooding and the substantial property damage. There is every indication climate change will lower the water table even more to make this bad situation worse.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
What is to be done to address these disasters? If the causes are not addressed flooding will continue and most likely intensify. Council must recognize: the infrastructure crisis and the environmental and ecological impacts of over-building lots; over-densification initiatives; excessive bureaucracy-based tax increases; loss of urban forest tree assets; open-ended zoning bylaw needing correction and poor planning. All are interconnected.
The results during heavy rainfall periods, like the one that Oak Bay just experienced, are inadequate storm drains backup, flooding and the substantial property damage. There is every indication that climate change will lower the water table even more to make this bad situation worse.
These serious issues, that Councillors prioritized during the election, need to be prioritized and addressed sequentially. Effective planning requires direction and guides decision making. Council must provide this direction to make a more productive use of our resources. How long is it going to take to:
Saying isn’t doing. Flailing about with minor concerns and out-of-order densification initiatives is not getting us anywhere. It’s inconceivable that with all of the recognition and election promises, and resident requests to address the (long-ago-identified) inconsistencies in the Zoning Bylaw, Council has allowed the Planning Department to push this off to 2022 - the last year of this Council’s term.
This is not even listed as a priority item in the new (very expensive) Corporate Plan. It should have been, and was expected to be, the first priority item not the last.
All the name-calling about residents being “anti-change” and “nimby” is development rhetoric. Very few residents are against positive change. What has transpired however, aided and abetted by previous Councils and the Planning Department, is Oak Bay’s “change” has been placed in the hands of the Development Industry.
The Development Industry’s loyalties lie with its shareholders and development company owner’s profits not with Oak Bay’s residents’ interests. It should be obvious this has to change. Council has only two more years to take control and get it right – the new year would be a very good time to start.
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“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention”
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Appendix #1 (see Time-Colonist Picture below)
Oak Bay Watch, in an early 2021 newsletter, will identify what our research shows and residents consider is acceptable development. We will also identify what residents do not want as indicated by resident survey and the official Community Plan Findings. To achieve maintaining Oak Bay's character, "proportionality", environmental concerns and heritage preservation must all play a big part.
The evidence, the experts and the indicators all signify the cumulative effect of paving over so many of Oak Bay’s single-family lots with over-built and excessive, lot coverage development has not only caused runoff problems, but severely-lowered the water table. Why is it so important to recognize and address these serious impacts?
The runoff impact problem is obvious: the most recent flooding on December 21/22, 2020 was primarily caused by our “near-end-of-life” infrastructures not being able to cope with the amount of rainfall. This was confirmed by the District both in the Times-Colonist and Oak Bay News as follows:
Times-Colonist December 23, 2020 Front page lead article (see Picture Appendix #1): “Big clean-up for flooded basements after storm”. The District of Oak Bay noted: “The most common flooding incidents involved houses where storm drain pipes were overwhelmed. Manholes could be seen gurgling water because they were full”.
The Oak Bay News Thursday, December the 24, 2020 downplayed the property damage and was less informative. A small page A7 article announced: “Bowker Creek at risk of spilling its banks” and the Administration’s message was, “storm sewer mains backing up due to capacity issues or blockages”.
The water table decline is much less obvious: With no Oak Bay environment oversight committee to advise (the committee was disbanded by the previous majority pro-development Council) and the Planning Department's not tracking the cumulative effects of so much tree, green space and soil filtration destruction, it is easy to see how this serious impact has failed to be recognized.
The significant loss of these natural asset-management resources has led to the many negative impacts on Oak Bay’s environment and ecology.
The District of Oak Bay has a lot of rock: this limits the amount of green space. When a significant amount of critical green space is destroyed the water-table is not replenished.
Studies show the Pacific Northwest with its abundant rainfall is not exempt. Although a higher water table is present in the winter, the long dry spell during the rest of the year can and does lower water tables.
Trees and vegetation need to access water during these dry months – Oak Bay has lost a lot of trees to development in the past 2 decades. Many of the trees that have been allowed to be removed because they were “in poor health”. The Planning Department’s and Park Commission’s report-after-report has noted this tree-health deficiency.
Garry Oaks, and the mature trees of many other species, have life spans of several centuries (Garry Oaks can last on average 400 years). Many of the Planning Department’s development application reports indicate that “poor health” tree conditions justify their removal – yet many, including Garry Oaks, are lasting less than 100 years.
Replacing only the protected trees with 2-for-one saplings is ineffective and a big problem. The District is counting saplings as part of the Urban Forest inventory, but often discounts the room they need to grow and also the time it takes for saplings to reach maturity and provide any benefit, that is if they survive.
There is ample evidence and it has been pointed out in tree symposiums, that tree replacement on new developments is inadequate. As indicated, in many cases there is not enough space and soil for the necessary long taproots and subsequent lateral roots. Tree replacement appears to be just a token gesture to make it seem the Urban Forest is being maintained for benefits that will “materialize” some time in the distant future.
It is not difficult to understand that there is a strong correlation between the amount of over-building and the poor health of trees. The over-building of lots that has gone unchecked in the past 2 decades has taken its toll on Oak Bay’s ecology.
The bottom line is:
As more and more mature trees (natural infrastructure), green space and soil are removed, absorption is reduced however, the water that would have been absorbed now remains on the lot. If the lot is over-built and over-paved the runoff is channeled into our “end-of-life” sewer and storm drains.
The results during heavy rainfall periods, like the one that Oak Bay just experienced, are the inadequate storm drains backup, flooding and the substantial property damage. There is every indication climate change will lower the water table even more to make this bad situation worse.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
What is to be done to address these disasters? If the causes are not addressed flooding will continue and most likely intensify. Council must recognize: the infrastructure crisis and the environmental and ecological impacts of over-building lots; over-densification initiatives; excessive bureaucracy-based tax increases; loss of urban forest tree assets; open-ended zoning bylaw needing correction and poor planning. All are interconnected.
The results during heavy rainfall periods, like the one that Oak Bay just experienced, are inadequate storm drains backup, flooding and the substantial property damage. There is every indication that climate change will lower the water table even more to make this bad situation worse.
These serious issues, that Councillors prioritized during the election, need to be prioritized and addressed sequentially. Effective planning requires direction and guides decision making. Council must provide this direction to make a more productive use of our resources. How long is it going to take to:
- Form the (Council-member-recommended) Financial Committee to assist in developing strategies to recommend efficiencies, acquire and redirect funding for infrastructure restoration and improvement and channel our finances to where they will be most effective,
- Form a much needed (Council-members-suggested) new Environmental Committee to advise on remedying the current serious environmental impacts.
- Recognize that our zoning regulates and provides standards for the permitted uses of land and buildings, the height and size of buildings, the size of lots and yards around buildings, and the other characteristics of development. The fundamental purpose of zoning is to separate out incompatible and undesirable uses of land.
Saying isn’t doing. Flailing about with minor concerns and out-of-order densification initiatives is not getting us anywhere. It’s inconceivable that with all of the recognition and election promises, and resident requests to address the (long-ago-identified) inconsistencies in the Zoning Bylaw, Council has allowed the Planning Department to push this off to 2022 - the last year of this Council’s term.
This is not even listed as a priority item in the new (very expensive) Corporate Plan. It should have been, and was expected to be, the first priority item not the last.
All the name-calling about residents being “anti-change” and “nimby” is development rhetoric. Very few residents are against positive change. What has transpired however, aided and abetted by previous Councils and the Planning Department, is Oak Bay’s “change” has been placed in the hands of the Development Industry.
The Development Industry’s loyalties lie with its shareholders and development company owner’s profits not with Oak Bay’s residents’ interests. It should be obvious this has to change. Council has only two more years to take control and get it right – the new year would be a very good time to start.
-----------------------------------------------
“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention”
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Appendix #1 (see Time-Colonist Picture below)
Oak Bay Watch, in an early 2021 newsletter, will identify what our research shows and residents consider is acceptable development. We will also identify what residents do not want as indicated by resident survey and the official Community Plan Findings. To achieve maintaining Oak Bay's character, "proportionality", environmental concerns and heritage preservation must all play a big part.
