Newsletter January 7, 2022: Information the District of Oak Bay is Not Providing
A recent Victoria Magazine article stated, “Density and Affordability are not spelled the same, and should not be conflated”. While it is true, these terms should not be credited with each other's characteristics: the development community and obviously some Oak Bay Council members do not, or chose not to, understand that there is a big difference.
Elizabeth Murphy, a former City of Vancouver Property Manager writes in an October 2021 Vancouver Sun article:
Growth: There are many different ways that needed city growth can be accommodated. To achieve positive outcomes that avoid negative impacts on the climate, affordability and livability, growth needs to be managed very carefully. This requires a holistic approach to planning that considers the local context of each neighbourhood.”
Affordability: “After a decade of record amounts of rezoning and development, Vancouver is one of the most-unaffordable cities in the world. Spot rezonings, land assemblies, displacement, speculation and land inflation are contributors. We need to do things differently”.
Picture Vancouver Density
To this end a picture says a thousand words: The grayed-out words in the picture read “This Represents an Opportunity to Deal”
A recent Victoria Magazine article stated, “Density and Affordability are not spelled the same, and should not be conflated”. While it is true, these terms should not be credited with each other's characteristics: the development community and obviously some Oak Bay Council members do not, or chose not to, understand that there is a big difference.
Elizabeth Murphy, a former City of Vancouver Property Manager writes in an October 2021 Vancouver Sun article:
Growth: There are many different ways that needed city growth can be accommodated. To achieve positive outcomes that avoid negative impacts on the climate, affordability and livability, growth needs to be managed very carefully. This requires a holistic approach to planning that considers the local context of each neighbourhood.”
Affordability: “After a decade of record amounts of rezoning and development, Vancouver is one of the most-unaffordable cities in the world. Spot rezonings, land assemblies, displacement, speculation and land inflation are contributors. We need to do things differently”.
Picture Vancouver Density
To this end a picture says a thousand words: The grayed-out words in the picture read “This Represents an Opportunity to Deal”
is In Victoria the same excessive densification has led the way to replicate Vancouver’s decades of housing price increases: yet the “excessively densify is the way to affordability” beat goes on. This “more supply to achieve affordability” concept has often been quoted by some Oak Bay Council members, our Urban Development Institute consultant/member company and our Planning Department - even though this concept has no basis in fact. Rents also have not escaped the same seemingly unrestricted inflation.
Vancouver and Victoria have ample business taxes to make up, to some extent, for their huge supply of non-taxable basement suites and infill development. However, Oak Bay has no such luxury. All the required additional services and infrastructure upgrades required for the suite-owner’s tenants are funded by property tax payers without this additional income.
In addition, a fairly recent change has added to a further imbalance of residential and business tax bases. Particularly seaside properties are being bought by investors as non-principal dwellings in a climate-friendly and safe-haven for personal assets.
It appears Oak Bay’s Administration and Leadership do not understand that the District’s’ revenue is almost exclusively dependent on resident property taxes. This is not a bottomless money pit.
With all of this, no wonder the record breaking seven years of high taxes, which was criticized pre-election by the incoming leadership, has continued to spiral out of control.
The District’s zoning bylaw, now under siege, and the high cost of land so far has protected the community from the uncontrolled development and exploitation that is prevalent in other communities. Oak Bay has historically always been a joint bedroom and retirement community. The population reflects this.
However, these demographics are now being used as a way to prove Oak Bay is not vibrant or diversified enough and a lot of density is the answer. It is important to note however, who is the messenger providing these arguments and making these assumptions and, how would this benefit the messenger? Unfortunately, excessive densification and its impacts is the path that a majority of Council is taking.
The next 10-months leading up to the 2022 October Civic Election will demonstrate who should or should not be re-elected; that is if Oak Bay is going to remain liveable. Our newsletters will make sure residents know who is voting for what, and if their reasons are valid (more on the affordability issue in future newsletters).
Oak Bay Watch Perspective - (Read on for more information)Home
With the District facing a financial and infrastructure-deficit crisis it difficult for us to understand how Council didn’t see the conflict in their hiring specialized expensive staff that provide:
The 2014 Zoning Bylaw Review was a “setback” not a step forward as advertised. It resulted in even more environmental damage, infrastructure impacts and tax increases. Since 2014 subsequent Councils have approved much more excessive lot coverage and their approved over-development applications do not recognize climate change nor are they environmentally friendly.
Also, the recently announced infrastructure funding formula is a concert. Council is patting itself on the back for this hundred-year concept funding-formula. This however, will not negate the decades-old, multi-million-dollar infrastructure deficit. It appears Council wants residents to believe that by putting aside one-hundredth of a hundred-year infrastructure restoration project, that this indicates that they have the failing infrastructure crisis well in hand.
The Zoning Bylaw review has been postponed to 2025. Council’s current initiative is to turn our single-family neighbouhoods into multi-dwelling areas without transition zones. This is before adding density to the Oak Bay Avenue Village areas. This densification of single-family neighbourhoods will not only add to climate change but, further impact our end-of-life infrastructure and will destroy the character of our neighbourhoods.
Information: The impact of the increased density improvements at the intersection of Bowker and Cadboro-Bay Road has resulted in costing taxpayers well over a half million tax dollars for sewer infrastructure improvements. No reason has been provided as to why the Planning Department over-looked charging the developer for this expensive infrastructure upgrade. An upgrade that will eat up a large chunk of this year’s infrastructure budget.
How could this obvious infrastructure impact not have not been considered when adding the Bowker 43-unit development to that location. The infrastructure impact was not mentioned during deliberations, and we have no way of knowing if it was a factor during the staff negotiations. Given an average city block would add only 10-12 houses this should have raised red flags..
It was well known that there had already been two very serious floods in recent years at that exact location. The development was approved by a single-vote cast by the former mayor, even though there was strong opposition to the massing by half of Council, the Neighbours, the Advisory Design Panel and the General Community.
Three of the four Council members that approved this development are no longer with us. With no Development Cost Charge Bylaw or a proper analysis, the property taxpayer, as usual, has picked up the tab.
“Give me the date of the next civic election again.”
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“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention” Oak Bay Watch
Oak Bay Watch is a volunteer community association and its members have a variety of professional backgrounds in both the public and private sector.
*******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.
Vancouver and Victoria have ample business taxes to make up, to some extent, for their huge supply of non-taxable basement suites and infill development. However, Oak Bay has no such luxury. All the required additional services and infrastructure upgrades required for the suite-owner’s tenants are funded by property tax payers without this additional income.
In addition, a fairly recent change has added to a further imbalance of residential and business tax bases. Particularly seaside properties are being bought by investors as non-principal dwellings in a climate-friendly and safe-haven for personal assets.
It appears Oak Bay’s Administration and Leadership do not understand that the District’s’ revenue is almost exclusively dependent on resident property taxes. This is not a bottomless money pit.
With all of this, no wonder the record breaking seven years of high taxes, which was criticized pre-election by the incoming leadership, has continued to spiral out of control.
The District’s zoning bylaw, now under siege, and the high cost of land so far has protected the community from the uncontrolled development and exploitation that is prevalent in other communities. Oak Bay has historically always been a joint bedroom and retirement community. The population reflects this.
However, these demographics are now being used as a way to prove Oak Bay is not vibrant or diversified enough and a lot of density is the answer. It is important to note however, who is the messenger providing these arguments and making these assumptions and, how would this benefit the messenger? Unfortunately, excessive densification and its impacts is the path that a majority of Council is taking.
The next 10-months leading up to the 2022 October Civic Election will demonstrate who should or should not be re-elected; that is if Oak Bay is going to remain liveable. Our newsletters will make sure residents know who is voting for what, and if their reasons are valid (more on the affordability issue in future newsletters).
Oak Bay Watch Perspective - (Read on for more information)Home
With the District facing a financial and infrastructure-deficit crisis it difficult for us to understand how Council didn’t see the conflict in their hiring specialized expensive staff that provide:
- Communications Specialist: Information is released that only shows the Administration in a good light and;
- A Director of Strategic Initiatives who has not prioritized what residents have for years identified as the priorities that they want addressed first. “The Survey Says” residents have constantly identified over-development, infrastructure improvement, the environment, development cost charges and control of taxes as the most important issues.
The 2014 Zoning Bylaw Review was a “setback” not a step forward as advertised. It resulted in even more environmental damage, infrastructure impacts and tax increases. Since 2014 subsequent Councils have approved much more excessive lot coverage and their approved over-development applications do not recognize climate change nor are they environmentally friendly.
Also, the recently announced infrastructure funding formula is a concert. Council is patting itself on the back for this hundred-year concept funding-formula. This however, will not negate the decades-old, multi-million-dollar infrastructure deficit. It appears Council wants residents to believe that by putting aside one-hundredth of a hundred-year infrastructure restoration project, that this indicates that they have the failing infrastructure crisis well in hand.
The Zoning Bylaw review has been postponed to 2025. Council’s current initiative is to turn our single-family neighbouhoods into multi-dwelling areas without transition zones. This is before adding density to the Oak Bay Avenue Village areas. This densification of single-family neighbourhoods will not only add to climate change but, further impact our end-of-life infrastructure and will destroy the character of our neighbourhoods.
Information: The impact of the increased density improvements at the intersection of Bowker and Cadboro-Bay Road has resulted in costing taxpayers well over a half million tax dollars for sewer infrastructure improvements. No reason has been provided as to why the Planning Department over-looked charging the developer for this expensive infrastructure upgrade. An upgrade that will eat up a large chunk of this year’s infrastructure budget.
How could this obvious infrastructure impact not have not been considered when adding the Bowker 43-unit development to that location. The infrastructure impact was not mentioned during deliberations, and we have no way of knowing if it was a factor during the staff negotiations. Given an average city block would add only 10-12 houses this should have raised red flags..
It was well known that there had already been two very serious floods in recent years at that exact location. The development was approved by a single-vote cast by the former mayor, even though there was strong opposition to the massing by half of Council, the Neighbours, the Advisory Design Panel and the General Community.
Three of the four Council members that approved this development are no longer with us. With no Development Cost Charge Bylaw or a proper analysis, the property taxpayer, as usual, has picked up the tab.
“Give me the date of the next civic election again.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention” Oak Bay Watch
Oak Bay Watch is a volunteer community association and its members have a variety of professional backgrounds in both the public and private sector.
*******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.