Asset Management - Part Two How Much Densification Can Oak Bay’s Infrastructure Handle?
Equally important questions are: How much densification will this Council Approve? and What will this Council’s legacy be?
What we know so far:
Two Council members have made it no secret since taking office that they strongly favor approving multi-tenant suites and infill development in Oak Bay’s single-family neighbourhoods as soon as possible if not sooner.
They seem oblivious to: the poor state of the infrastructure, recently highlighted by the damage and expense caused by the storm-water system's inability to prevent so many basements from flooding; the many breaks and leaks and the formidable amount of funding required to address the current infrastructure deficit. All this should indicate that a lot of work needs to be done before adding more community-wide densification.
The impacts of any extensive infill densification will put much more pressure on the infrastructure. All the additional parking and building footprints on existing lots will result in the destruction of natural asset trees and vegetation. Replacing mature trees with saplings is no solution even if there were enough space allowed for them to reach maturity.
It is also not reassuring that the November 2018 Newport Heritage Revitalization Agreement has indicated that the Planning Department is OK with recommending an infill unit the size of many Oak Bay single-family homes.
The June 28, 2021 Asset Management Report lists administrative and planning achievements only. However, it was clear at the June 28, 2021, Council meeting the infrastructure improvement work required to make any real impact is not going to happen any time soon.
This was confirmed in the June 28, 2021 Infrastructure Strategy Report - see Appendix #1. It contains a lot of: “is likely to require”, “will need to deliver”, “must seek ways to”, “best practices will be used to plan and deliver”. Any substantive improvement was referenced in five, ten,fifty and hundred year timelines.
Residents have indicated they would be willing to pay more taxes for infrastructure improvement and the high annual tax increases have been an expensive proposition for seven years now but not for infrastructure.
However, Council must do its part and not approve densification that will exceed the infrastructure‘s capacity to accommodate it. They must not make a bad situation worse.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
As indicated in our newsletter "Infrastructure Part One" and past newsletters the last two Councils and the current Council have approved many developments that have allowed much bigger building footprints and more paved surfaces throughout the Community. To accommodate this over-development a lot of trees and green space have been removed.
In addition Oak Bay’s leadership has missed important opportunities by their inaction: not borrowing for infrastructure during a time when interest rates were at an all-time low and pre-pandemic when the cost of materials had not gone through the roof
The basic problem has been and continues to be that many of our Council and leadership’s priorities and time commitment have been on issues that are much less urgent than addressing the infrastructure deficit.
This indicates that there is a communication breakdown between the District’s departments and advisory bodies. To their credit Directors of Engineering and Consultants have sounded the alarm on many occasions but, with little success.
Now there is a new comprehensive infrastructure plan. However, it leaves out protecting natural assets and climate change and its implementation timelines are far beyond many of the single-family neighbourhood densification initiatives that have been presented and prioritized by staff.
Most of Oak Bay‘s natural assets are concentrated in single-family areas. It is reasonable to assume then that the cumulative impact of so much approved over-development would already have had a serious adverse impact on our reported “end-of-life” infrastructure.
Therefore, at this point approving the estimated 1500 more basement suites and all the different types of infill development that have been proposed by staff would be ill-advised.
It’s standard planning practice that the amount of development must keep pace with the infrastructure’s roads’, sewers’; storm and water pipes’ capacity to handle it. The District has already stated that development is not paying its way for the necessary infrastructure improvement. Experience has proven that, if communities develop too fast, existing residents pay the price.
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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.
Appendix #1
Asset Management Strategy
This Asset Management Strategy serves as the Charter for the Asset Management Program, the grouping of activities and projects that aims to deliver sustainable service delivery in the District of Oak Bay. The components of this program are intended to deliver on key items such as condition assessment plans, program governance structure, decision-making tools, risk management practices, and ultimately, an operationalized set of management best practices……
The fundamental aim of an asset management approach is to create a planning and execution framework that delivers Sustainable Service Delivery.
Outcomes, Assumptions & Limitations
•The District will need to deliver on an asset management program without necessarily increasing permanent full-time staff.
•Asset management practices are difficult to implement from scratch but can be operationalized and eventually considered “business as usual” upon completion of the program.
•Achieving Sustainable Service Delivery is likely to require innovative “made in Oak Bay” solutions. These solutions must leverage lessons learned in other communities……
•The District must seek ways to adapt approaches used by larger, more resourced municipalities in ways that are appropriate and effective.
•Program and project management best practices will be used to plan and deliver on key asset management requirements, including organizational change, asset management plans and the creation of decision-making tools.
•The final deliverables of the asset management program will be the full adoption of asset management methodologies as part of the District’s standard ways of effectively achieving long-term strategic and financial objectives.
Equally important questions are: How much densification will this Council Approve? and What will this Council’s legacy be?
What we know so far:
Two Council members have made it no secret since taking office that they strongly favor approving multi-tenant suites and infill development in Oak Bay’s single-family neighbourhoods as soon as possible if not sooner.
They seem oblivious to: the poor state of the infrastructure, recently highlighted by the damage and expense caused by the storm-water system's inability to prevent so many basements from flooding; the many breaks and leaks and the formidable amount of funding required to address the current infrastructure deficit. All this should indicate that a lot of work needs to be done before adding more community-wide densification.
The impacts of any extensive infill densification will put much more pressure on the infrastructure. All the additional parking and building footprints on existing lots will result in the destruction of natural asset trees and vegetation. Replacing mature trees with saplings is no solution even if there were enough space allowed for them to reach maturity.
It is also not reassuring that the November 2018 Newport Heritage Revitalization Agreement has indicated that the Planning Department is OK with recommending an infill unit the size of many Oak Bay single-family homes.
The June 28, 2021 Asset Management Report lists administrative and planning achievements only. However, it was clear at the June 28, 2021, Council meeting the infrastructure improvement work required to make any real impact is not going to happen any time soon.
This was confirmed in the June 28, 2021 Infrastructure Strategy Report - see Appendix #1. It contains a lot of: “is likely to require”, “will need to deliver”, “must seek ways to”, “best practices will be used to plan and deliver”. Any substantive improvement was referenced in five, ten,fifty and hundred year timelines.
Residents have indicated they would be willing to pay more taxes for infrastructure improvement and the high annual tax increases have been an expensive proposition for seven years now but not for infrastructure.
However, Council must do its part and not approve densification that will exceed the infrastructure‘s capacity to accommodate it. They must not make a bad situation worse.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective
As indicated in our newsletter "Infrastructure Part One" and past newsletters the last two Councils and the current Council have approved many developments that have allowed much bigger building footprints and more paved surfaces throughout the Community. To accommodate this over-development a lot of trees and green space have been removed.
In addition Oak Bay’s leadership has missed important opportunities by their inaction: not borrowing for infrastructure during a time when interest rates were at an all-time low and pre-pandemic when the cost of materials had not gone through the roof
The basic problem has been and continues to be that many of our Council and leadership’s priorities and time commitment have been on issues that are much less urgent than addressing the infrastructure deficit.
This indicates that there is a communication breakdown between the District’s departments and advisory bodies. To their credit Directors of Engineering and Consultants have sounded the alarm on many occasions but, with little success.
Now there is a new comprehensive infrastructure plan. However, it leaves out protecting natural assets and climate change and its implementation timelines are far beyond many of the single-family neighbourhood densification initiatives that have been presented and prioritized by staff.
Most of Oak Bay‘s natural assets are concentrated in single-family areas. It is reasonable to assume then that the cumulative impact of so much approved over-development would already have had a serious adverse impact on our reported “end-of-life” infrastructure.
Therefore, at this point approving the estimated 1500 more basement suites and all the different types of infill development that have been proposed by staff would be ill-advised.
It’s standard planning practice that the amount of development must keep pace with the infrastructure’s roads’, sewers’; storm and water pipes’ capacity to handle it. The District has already stated that development is not paying its way for the necessary infrastructure improvement. Experience has proven that, if communities develop too fast, existing residents pay the price.
------------------------------------------
“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.
Appendix #1
Asset Management Strategy
This Asset Management Strategy serves as the Charter for the Asset Management Program, the grouping of activities and projects that aims to deliver sustainable service delivery in the District of Oak Bay. The components of this program are intended to deliver on key items such as condition assessment plans, program governance structure, decision-making tools, risk management practices, and ultimately, an operationalized set of management best practices……
The fundamental aim of an asset management approach is to create a planning and execution framework that delivers Sustainable Service Delivery.
Outcomes, Assumptions & Limitations
•The District will need to deliver on an asset management program without necessarily increasing permanent full-time staff.
•Asset management practices are difficult to implement from scratch but can be operationalized and eventually considered “business as usual” upon completion of the program.
•Achieving Sustainable Service Delivery is likely to require innovative “made in Oak Bay” solutions. These solutions must leverage lessons learned in other communities……
•The District must seek ways to adapt approaches used by larger, more resourced municipalities in ways that are appropriate and effective.
•Program and project management best practices will be used to plan and deliver on key asset management requirements, including organizational change, asset management plans and the creation of decision-making tools.
•The final deliverables of the asset management program will be the full adoption of asset management methodologies as part of the District’s standard ways of effectively achieving long-term strategic and financial objectives.