Oak Bay Watch Town Hall Meeting
Our Town Hall Meeting turnout at the Monterey Centre on Tuesday September 12, 2017 clearly demonstrated how much residents are committed to preserving our Community and its treasured values. It was standing room only in the main hall at the Monterey Centre with many speakers from the audience representing all neighbourhods in Oak Bay. Transparency, the infrastructure, finances and over- development were the hot- button items triggering residents concerns.
It was obvious that there is a lot of frustration with Council’s performance and the lack of opportunity for Community input. The independent facilitator’s notes are posted on our website (oakbaywatch.com), so they will not be summarized here. However, issues that severely impact existing residents like over-densification and finance were at the forefront of the discussion. It was pointed out that a primary responsibility of Council is to ensure that existing residents’ rights are protected. There were many examples given of how these protections are being ignored, and even legislated protections are being minimized. There were examples provided of Council’s ignoring large sections of the Community who were only asking for compromise (see Council News below).
One such example was the Bowker/Cadboro Bay 43 Condo Development Public meeting with 450 residents attending. Many residents at the meeting and a resident design panel requested that the over-built development be cut back to conform to our zoning rules. The excessive massing was approved with no change.
The previous long-term Oak Bay Mayor stated, “He could not recall a proposal being sent to a public hearing where there has been a 3-3 split at Council and a split community – In such situations it should go back for more work and compromise before bringing it to the public”.
It is ironic that this development was presented by the development company as affordable housing starting at $400,000 per unit and specifically, for more” housing choices” for Oak Bay residents. The day after Council approval this development was marketed outside of Oak Bay, in a double full-page ad in the Vancouver Sun, with units starting at $600.000.
Council News
At the Monday, September 11th, 2017 Council meeting there was in attendance a delegation of residents, who live not far from Municipal Hall on Granite Street. The residents, that included an ex-Oak Bay Mayor, explained that the United Church at the southwest corner of Granite and Mitchell Streets plan an intensive development at that location. They also stated that the United Church of Canada has hired a development company to spearhead development of their properties throughout the Country.
The delegation expressed their concerns about the size and content of the planned density and questioned what Council will allow to be built on that site: how will it impact their neighbourhood and compound the existing serious traffic problem. Indications are that the development will include multi-story and multi-family dwellings, and perhaps a commercial component. Residents stated that the United Church has shut them out of any consultation, refusing to discuss their development plans. Consequentially they held their own neighbourhood town hall meeting. They urged Council to develop a Housing Strategy and to ensure that all provisions the Official Community Plan are given equal weight.
The Mayor responded that Council has not received an application and there will be multiple Council Committee of the Whole Meetings. He assured those attending that there would be a public meeting, even if none were required. What the Mayor did not address is whether staff have received a development application and/or have been meeting with the United Church and their development company representatives for many months before bringing it to Council. This has been the Municipality’s usual procedure in recent years with complex developments. This is in addition to moving the proposal through Council’s selected-membership (no general public input allowed) Commissions and Committees - before Council considers the development application at an advanced stage. This process has positioned Council to rubber-stamp many extraordinary variances and additional massing for the last two mega-developments, with minimal change from the original proposal.
It is also important to note that widespread public interest with consequent valuable input has fallen on hard times with this Council. It should not be left to Community Groups like Oak Bay Watch, the Community Association of Oak Bay and the North Oak Bay Community Association to bring these important issues and Council news to the public’s 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)
Continue to keep informed please sign up for our newsletter – bottom of newsletter page.
Our Town Hall Meeting turnout at the Monterey Centre on Tuesday September 12, 2017 clearly demonstrated how much residents are committed to preserving our Community and its treasured values. It was standing room only in the main hall at the Monterey Centre with many speakers from the audience representing all neighbourhods in Oak Bay. Transparency, the infrastructure, finances and over- development were the hot- button items triggering residents concerns.
It was obvious that there is a lot of frustration with Council’s performance and the lack of opportunity for Community input. The independent facilitator’s notes are posted on our website (oakbaywatch.com), so they will not be summarized here. However, issues that severely impact existing residents like over-densification and finance were at the forefront of the discussion. It was pointed out that a primary responsibility of Council is to ensure that existing residents’ rights are protected. There were many examples given of how these protections are being ignored, and even legislated protections are being minimized. There were examples provided of Council’s ignoring large sections of the Community who were only asking for compromise (see Council News below).
One such example was the Bowker/Cadboro Bay 43 Condo Development Public meeting with 450 residents attending. Many residents at the meeting and a resident design panel requested that the over-built development be cut back to conform to our zoning rules. The excessive massing was approved with no change.
The previous long-term Oak Bay Mayor stated, “He could not recall a proposal being sent to a public hearing where there has been a 3-3 split at Council and a split community – In such situations it should go back for more work and compromise before bringing it to the public”.
It is ironic that this development was presented by the development company as affordable housing starting at $400,000 per unit and specifically, for more” housing choices” for Oak Bay residents. The day after Council approval this development was marketed outside of Oak Bay, in a double full-page ad in the Vancouver Sun, with units starting at $600.000.
Council News
At the Monday, September 11th, 2017 Council meeting there was in attendance a delegation of residents, who live not far from Municipal Hall on Granite Street. The residents, that included an ex-Oak Bay Mayor, explained that the United Church at the southwest corner of Granite and Mitchell Streets plan an intensive development at that location. They also stated that the United Church of Canada has hired a development company to spearhead development of their properties throughout the Country.
The delegation expressed their concerns about the size and content of the planned density and questioned what Council will allow to be built on that site: how will it impact their neighbourhood and compound the existing serious traffic problem. Indications are that the development will include multi-story and multi-family dwellings, and perhaps a commercial component. Residents stated that the United Church has shut them out of any consultation, refusing to discuss their development plans. Consequentially they held their own neighbourhood town hall meeting. They urged Council to develop a Housing Strategy and to ensure that all provisions the Official Community Plan are given equal weight.
The Mayor responded that Council has not received an application and there will be multiple Council Committee of the Whole Meetings. He assured those attending that there would be a public meeting, even if none were required. What the Mayor did not address is whether staff have received a development application and/or have been meeting with the United Church and their development company representatives for many months before bringing it to Council. This has been the Municipality’s usual procedure in recent years with complex developments. This is in addition to moving the proposal through Council’s selected-membership (no general public input allowed) Commissions and Committees - before Council considers the development application at an advanced stage. This process has positioned Council to rubber-stamp many extraordinary variances and additional massing for the last two mega-developments, with minimal change from the original proposal.
It is also important to note that widespread public interest with consequent valuable input has fallen on hard times with this Council. It should not be left to Community Groups like Oak Bay Watch, the Community Association of Oak Bay and the North Oak Bay Community Association to bring these important issues and Council news to the public’s 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)
Continue to keep informed please sign up for our newsletter – bottom of newsletter page.