Newsletter April 2nd 2022: Why is this so hard to understand?
Two previous changes to Oak Bay’s floor area zoning in in 2007 and 2014 resulted in:
Previous Councils and council candidates over the years have recognized that the 2007 zoning change was a mistake: the 2014 new Floor Area Committee’s recommendations increased the lot coverage even more, making the situation worse.
If the 2020 Annual Plan demolition statistics are anything to go by the District has been averaging 30 demolitions annually. This destructive zoning situation, now year-after-year, was identified by the Building and Planning Department after the floor area ratio was first increased in 2007.
In June 2016 a District Retention (Demolition Prevention) Working Group was formed and provided “some regulatory avenues to consider: the impact of housing loss when developing or updating policies, or regulations such as the upcoming Infill Policy and Urban Forest Strategy. Such changes must start with general direction by the senior administration and planning staff as well as the Advisory Planning and Heritage Commissions.” (See Oak Bay Watch Perspective for more information)
To understand how the zoning has affected and will continue to affect the community, the following infrastructure impact example will provide a much better picture of the scale of the problem.
In May 2022 the Capitol Regional District (CRD) will begin a Sewer Upgrade Project. The existing sewer line will be upgraded from the pump station near Jubilee Hospital, along Bowker Creek in Oak Bay to Beach Drive at St. Carlos Avenue and Beach Drive and near Glenlyon Norfolk School. To keep costs down, the existing cast-in-place brick pipe and non-reinforced concrete pipe will only be relined. However, the cost for this one line will be $8,000,000 (see Appendix #1).
The CRD has explained that, the District installed two types of pipes that predated the creation of the CRD. Although the limited amount of non-reinforced concrete is much newer than the 100-year-old cast-in-place brick pipe, due to corrosive substances in the sewerage, the concrete pipe also requires upgrading. The cast-in-place brick pipe as indicated in the Official Community Plan is at the end of its life.
The CRD agrees that because the District used these types of sewer pipes that now require CRD upgrading, it is likely most of Oak Bay’s pipes are made of the same or similar materials. If $8,000,000 is the cost of one sewer-system line it is no wonder our infrastructure deficit is hundreds of millions of dollars.
It is also easy to understand that more funding must be spent on infrastructure upgrading. However, what is being ignored is: has the last 15-year cumulative impact of hundreds of demolitions and over-builds resulted in any real progress in addressing the District’s infrastructure crisis? And, as important, how are the implications and costs of Council’s new single-family densification initiatives going to further impact demolitions, tax increases and the infrastructure crisis?
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
It seems to us that if the Home Retention Working Group (HRWG) was formed in 2016 due to concerns about the number of demolitions in the District, and if there have been the same number of demolitions annually up to 2021, then the HRWG's recommended considerations (previously indicated ) were not taken seriously. Was this just another exercise in report writing?
David Eby, the Provincial Housing Minister, has stated he will introduce legislation to over-ride municipal development decisions. Notwithstanding that this conflicts with the principles of the BC Local Government Act, the principles and purpose of the BC Community Charter and overlooks senior government’s ineffective attempts to rail in rampant housing speculation, the solution the Province is promoting is aimed at eliminating local government zoning controls.
Mr. Eby however, has not indicated he will provide more funding to municipalities to deal with the resulting impacts of his forced development approvals. Nor has he indicated he will introduce legislation to make the development industry build the housing needed to address as he puts it, the “wicked housing problem”.
Oak Bay has to be very careful how they address adding more density. For example see what the Fraser Institute have recommended: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/5-ways-boost-housing-affordability-vancouver?msclkid=e4f5998eb07911ecb140597617c63769
See Appendix #2 example for what has been described by a politician as “shoehorning multiple units onto single-family lots”. Note: these types of developments would have a serious impact on our already failing infrastructure and taxation systems.
In a just-published study of B.C.’s housing market, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) cited census data to conclude that housing construction in B.C. is keeping up with population growth, “but developers are not necessarily building the right kind of housing.” Note: Fourteen high-end units crammed on to a single-family lot is not what is needed right now. To their credit our Council recognized this in denying "the Quest" application.
See Appendix #3 for BCUM President Laurey-Anne Roodenburg’s informative information.
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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)
Appendix #1
Two previous changes to Oak Bay’s floor area zoning in in 2007 and 2014 resulted in:
- The loss of many smaller, more affordable Oak Bay homes.
- Many lots being clear cut.
- Environmentally damaging and excessive lot coverage with a much larger replacement home.
- A cumulative impact on the District’s failing infrastructure.
Previous Councils and council candidates over the years have recognized that the 2007 zoning change was a mistake: the 2014 new Floor Area Committee’s recommendations increased the lot coverage even more, making the situation worse.
If the 2020 Annual Plan demolition statistics are anything to go by the District has been averaging 30 demolitions annually. This destructive zoning situation, now year-after-year, was identified by the Building and Planning Department after the floor area ratio was first increased in 2007.
In June 2016 a District Retention (Demolition Prevention) Working Group was formed and provided “some regulatory avenues to consider: the impact of housing loss when developing or updating policies, or regulations such as the upcoming Infill Policy and Urban Forest Strategy. Such changes must start with general direction by the senior administration and planning staff as well as the Advisory Planning and Heritage Commissions.” (See Oak Bay Watch Perspective for more information)
To understand how the zoning has affected and will continue to affect the community, the following infrastructure impact example will provide a much better picture of the scale of the problem.
In May 2022 the Capitol Regional District (CRD) will begin a Sewer Upgrade Project. The existing sewer line will be upgraded from the pump station near Jubilee Hospital, along Bowker Creek in Oak Bay to Beach Drive at St. Carlos Avenue and Beach Drive and near Glenlyon Norfolk School. To keep costs down, the existing cast-in-place brick pipe and non-reinforced concrete pipe will only be relined. However, the cost for this one line will be $8,000,000 (see Appendix #1).
The CRD has explained that, the District installed two types of pipes that predated the creation of the CRD. Although the limited amount of non-reinforced concrete is much newer than the 100-year-old cast-in-place brick pipe, due to corrosive substances in the sewerage, the concrete pipe also requires upgrading. The cast-in-place brick pipe as indicated in the Official Community Plan is at the end of its life.
The CRD agrees that because the District used these types of sewer pipes that now require CRD upgrading, it is likely most of Oak Bay’s pipes are made of the same or similar materials. If $8,000,000 is the cost of one sewer-system line it is no wonder our infrastructure deficit is hundreds of millions of dollars.
It is also easy to understand that more funding must be spent on infrastructure upgrading. However, what is being ignored is: has the last 15-year cumulative impact of hundreds of demolitions and over-builds resulted in any real progress in addressing the District’s infrastructure crisis? And, as important, how are the implications and costs of Council’s new single-family densification initiatives going to further impact demolitions, tax increases and the infrastructure crisis?
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
It seems to us that if the Home Retention Working Group (HRWG) was formed in 2016 due to concerns about the number of demolitions in the District, and if there have been the same number of demolitions annually up to 2021, then the HRWG's recommended considerations (previously indicated ) were not taken seriously. Was this just another exercise in report writing?
David Eby, the Provincial Housing Minister, has stated he will introduce legislation to over-ride municipal development decisions. Notwithstanding that this conflicts with the principles of the BC Local Government Act, the principles and purpose of the BC Community Charter and overlooks senior government’s ineffective attempts to rail in rampant housing speculation, the solution the Province is promoting is aimed at eliminating local government zoning controls.
Mr. Eby however, has not indicated he will provide more funding to municipalities to deal with the resulting impacts of his forced development approvals. Nor has he indicated he will introduce legislation to make the development industry build the housing needed to address as he puts it, the “wicked housing problem”.
Oak Bay has to be very careful how they address adding more density. For example see what the Fraser Institute have recommended: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/5-ways-boost-housing-affordability-vancouver?msclkid=e4f5998eb07911ecb140597617c63769
See Appendix #2 example for what has been described by a politician as “shoehorning multiple units onto single-family lots”. Note: these types of developments would have a serious impact on our already failing infrastructure and taxation systems.
In a just-published study of B.C.’s housing market, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) cited census data to conclude that housing construction in B.C. is keeping up with population growth, “but developers are not necessarily building the right kind of housing.” Note: Fourteen high-end units crammed on to a single-family lot is not what is needed right now. To their credit our Council recognized this in denying "the Quest" application.
See Appendix #3 for BCUM President Laurey-Anne Roodenburg’s informative information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“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)
Appendix #1
Appendix #2
A Fraser Institute’s Housing Crisis Solution - this includes an optional Basement Suite.
A Fraser Institute’s Housing Crisis Solution - this includes an optional Basement Suite.
Appendix #3
Union of BC Municipalities Statements:
BCUM president Laurey-Anne Roodenburg recently said, “there is a demand created by investors” and “investors have deep pockets, and they can get high prices for these properties and leave the general population out of the process, adding that some communities have seen a significant increase in the flipping of pre-sale homes.”
“Tackling affordability will require incentivizing the right supply, including affordable rental housing and co-ops, and addressing the market-skewing influence of speculative demand, the UBCM report states, emphasizing that housing should not be built just for the sake of supply”.
Union of BC Municipalities Statements:
BCUM president Laurey-Anne Roodenburg recently said, “there is a demand created by investors” and “investors have deep pockets, and they can get high prices for these properties and leave the general population out of the process, adding that some communities have seen a significant increase in the flipping of pre-sale homes.”
“Tackling affordability will require incentivizing the right supply, including affordable rental housing and co-ops, and addressing the market-skewing influence of speculative demand, the UBCM report states, emphasizing that housing should not be built just for the sake of supply”.