Newsletter February 4, 2023: Is the Writing on the Wall?Newsletters
Council Meeting January 9, 2023, Agenda Item 8.2 772 Victoria Drive subdivision application: As stated in the Oak Bay Watch January 22, 2023, Newsletter Council members were of the opinion that 4 units were not enough density on the 2-small-lot subdivision. They requested the developer to inquire if the density could be increased with a townhouse development.
This ignores the fact that Council’s request for more density would result in more tree loss and environmental damage, and that their commitment to an extensive neighbourhood by neighbourhood consultation is still pending. It also means there is every reason to believe Council is going to forego any missing middle process to allow meaningful, collaborative resident input.
The Mayor justified his suggestion for a townhouse development in this subdivision stating, there is a limited number of lots like this one in the District, He also said there is a lot of will on the part of Council and the community to find those opportunities when they come up.
The Mayor seems to have overlooked that Oak Bay has many similar, and even larger lots, and most of them are in Uplands. At Council on September 26, 2022, a number of Uplands residents spoke opposing infill zoning in their neighbourhood. The Mayor and five Council members defeated a motion to “treat Uplands for a much lighter infill approach”, a consideration the initial infill survey recommended.
Staff and the infill consultants have defined Infill development as detached suites, duplexes, townhouses, heritage lot conversions and lot subdivisions. It can therefore be presumed all of these housing options would be zoned for Uplands as well as elsewhere in Oak Bay.
Also at the September 26, 2022 Council Meeting, a Council member singled out the Advisory Design Panel and the Advisory Planning Commission as the community’s land use “checks and balances”.
However, If the Design Panel's consideration of the 2072 Hampshire Road four-lot subdivision application on November 4, 2022, is anything to go by, any “checks and balances did not enter into the picture. The minutes state that: Panel members expressed frustration that, "although supportive of the application, they would have welcomed an application with greater density and wished this was a District requirement."
Recommending increased density for development applications they are considering is not part of the ADP mandate. Besides that, adding more density, as preferred by the ADP, would mean more units than the potential eight units that were requested for the at 2072 Hampshire Subdivision. This also would require a lot more lot coverage and paving.
It is concerning that the ADP members must be approved by the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. Architectural firms get their income from development and are frequently members of the Urban Development Institute (UDI), which is the public voice and lobby for the real estate development industry. So much for ADP land-use developments checks and balances.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective (for news and more information)
News: The District has added yet another full-time Administration staff member, a Plan Checker. The District is also requesting public input to use public sidewalks and parking spaces for Businesses Sidewalk Patio Expansion. Consultation includes a scheduled Open House and Survey. However, it's not clear why important land use zoning changes, like permitting basement suites and infill development, did not receive the same Open House Meeting consideration.
Information: It should be noted that, when proponents come forward with their development proposals, they meet with Oak Bay’s Director of Community Building and Planning Services, who is Oak Bay’s representative to the UDI. Another senior member of Oak Bay’s administration is Oak Bay’s Director of Strategic Initiatives who is a CRD representative to the UDI. Additionally, one Councillor is with a firm of architects that is a member of UDI. With UDI working inside and out, Oak Bay’s Residents are outnumbered when it comes to being heard.
UDI is open about its commitment to its members’ “bottom line”, which is the focus on profit. Council is elected to have its “bottom line” serve all Oak Bay’s residents (not just a few) by operating the District as efficiently and effectively as possible and preserve what a large majority of residents value about their community.
Checks and balances are what the Advisory Design Panel and the Advisory Planning Commission are supposed to employ in order to represent the community’s land-use viewpoints and advise Council accordingly. However, they are not in evidence. The Advisory Planning Commission's falling short of that role is a topic for Oak Bay Watch’s next newsletter.
It seems to us that the Province has strict lobbying laws for a reason unfortunately, they do not apply to local Governments. We would hazard a guess that if this were the case, the Special Urban Development Institute Committees assigned to many Local Governments to monitor and influence their land use policies and decisions, would be prohibited. And the above-referenced Oak Bay Staff and CRD Memberships and staff’s contact with lobbyists would, at the very least, be frowned upon.
Council’s words are full of good intentions however, their densification actions and intentions speak much louder than their words. Council members say they love and want to protect the character of Oak Bay. However, if their action to request more units than the requested 4 units on the 2 small lots created by the 772 Victoria subdivision is an indication of their infill densification intentions, this does not bode well for Council’s upcoming extensive neighbourhood public engagement and renders their words meaningless.
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Home “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 LINK at Top of oakbaywatch.com Home Page) or please paste this link into your Browser: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=4KRW4RC9AHNZL
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Council Meeting January 9, 2023, Agenda Item 8.2 772 Victoria Drive subdivision application: As stated in the Oak Bay Watch January 22, 2023, Newsletter Council members were of the opinion that 4 units were not enough density on the 2-small-lot subdivision. They requested the developer to inquire if the density could be increased with a townhouse development.
This ignores the fact that Council’s request for more density would result in more tree loss and environmental damage, and that their commitment to an extensive neighbourhood by neighbourhood consultation is still pending. It also means there is every reason to believe Council is going to forego any missing middle process to allow meaningful, collaborative resident input.
The Mayor justified his suggestion for a townhouse development in this subdivision stating, there is a limited number of lots like this one in the District, He also said there is a lot of will on the part of Council and the community to find those opportunities when they come up.
The Mayor seems to have overlooked that Oak Bay has many similar, and even larger lots, and most of them are in Uplands. At Council on September 26, 2022, a number of Uplands residents spoke opposing infill zoning in their neighbourhood. The Mayor and five Council members defeated a motion to “treat Uplands for a much lighter infill approach”, a consideration the initial infill survey recommended.
Staff and the infill consultants have defined Infill development as detached suites, duplexes, townhouses, heritage lot conversions and lot subdivisions. It can therefore be presumed all of these housing options would be zoned for Uplands as well as elsewhere in Oak Bay.
Also at the September 26, 2022 Council Meeting, a Council member singled out the Advisory Design Panel and the Advisory Planning Commission as the community’s land use “checks and balances”.
However, If the Design Panel's consideration of the 2072 Hampshire Road four-lot subdivision application on November 4, 2022, is anything to go by, any “checks and balances did not enter into the picture. The minutes state that: Panel members expressed frustration that, "although supportive of the application, they would have welcomed an application with greater density and wished this was a District requirement."
Recommending increased density for development applications they are considering is not part of the ADP mandate. Besides that, adding more density, as preferred by the ADP, would mean more units than the potential eight units that were requested for the at 2072 Hampshire Subdivision. This also would require a lot more lot coverage and paving.
It is concerning that the ADP members must be approved by the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. Architectural firms get their income from development and are frequently members of the Urban Development Institute (UDI), which is the public voice and lobby for the real estate development industry. So much for ADP land-use developments checks and balances.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective (for news and more information)
News: The District has added yet another full-time Administration staff member, a Plan Checker. The District is also requesting public input to use public sidewalks and parking spaces for Businesses Sidewalk Patio Expansion. Consultation includes a scheduled Open House and Survey. However, it's not clear why important land use zoning changes, like permitting basement suites and infill development, did not receive the same Open House Meeting consideration.
Information: It should be noted that, when proponents come forward with their development proposals, they meet with Oak Bay’s Director of Community Building and Planning Services, who is Oak Bay’s representative to the UDI. Another senior member of Oak Bay’s administration is Oak Bay’s Director of Strategic Initiatives who is a CRD representative to the UDI. Additionally, one Councillor is with a firm of architects that is a member of UDI. With UDI working inside and out, Oak Bay’s Residents are outnumbered when it comes to being heard.
UDI is open about its commitment to its members’ “bottom line”, which is the focus on profit. Council is elected to have its “bottom line” serve all Oak Bay’s residents (not just a few) by operating the District as efficiently and effectively as possible and preserve what a large majority of residents value about their community.
Checks and balances are what the Advisory Design Panel and the Advisory Planning Commission are supposed to employ in order to represent the community’s land-use viewpoints and advise Council accordingly. However, they are not in evidence. The Advisory Planning Commission's falling short of that role is a topic for Oak Bay Watch’s next newsletter.
It seems to us that the Province has strict lobbying laws for a reason unfortunately, they do not apply to local Governments. We would hazard a guess that if this were the case, the Special Urban Development Institute Committees assigned to many Local Governments to monitor and influence their land use policies and decisions, would be prohibited. And the above-referenced Oak Bay Staff and CRD Memberships and staff’s contact with lobbyists would, at the very least, be frowned upon.
Council’s words are full of good intentions however, their densification actions and intentions speak much louder than their words. Council members say they love and want to protect the character of Oak Bay. However, if their action to request more units than the requested 4 units on the 2 small lots created by the 772 Victoria subdivision is an indication of their infill densification intentions, this does not bode well for Council’s upcoming extensive neighbourhood public engagement and renders their words meaningless.
-----------------------------------------------
Home “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 LINK at Top of oakbaywatch.com Home Page) or please paste this link into your Browser: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=4KRW4RC9AHNZL
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.