Newsletter March 20, 2022: Council Meeting Concern and District News
Council Meeting March 14, 2022: Agenda Item #10 “The Quest” Condo Development
It is commendable that four Council members voted to deny the Zoning Amendment Bylaw and Housing Agreement for the “The Quest”, an inappropriate development application for a single-family lot site at 2326 Oak Bay Avenue. However, the fact that Councillors Appleton and Ney and the Mayor voted against the motion to deny is concerning.
The development application was for a proposal to build fourteen condominium units on a singe-family lot. Councillors Braithwaite, Green, Paterson and Zhelka voted to deny amending the zoning bylaw based on the massing, height, lack of setbacks, access safety, amount of blasting, environmental damage and the small lot size
This inappropriate development application had already been denied twice previously by Oak Bay Councils based on the impacts and Community opposition: this included almost all residents at several packed community consultation meetings, a resident survey signed by over 800 residents and a number of submissions to Council.
It is therefore not clear, based on the significant amount of community opposition, how Council members Appleton, Murdoch and Ney believe they are working collaboratively with residents in decision-making, as indicated in Oak Bay’s Vision Statement. Or for that matter, that their voting against the motions indicated they would be in favour of approving this development that would have had so many negative impacts on the Community.
District Information
Oak Bay’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is to leave Oak Bay this April and has accepted a position as CAO for Qualicum BC. Since 2010 Oak Bay has averaged a new CAO every four years. However, there has been no substantial improvement to the problems the District has been faced with for over a decade now. For example, the destruction of natural assets: clearcutting trees, vegetation and removal of soil filtration systems by over-building lots.
The District continues to spend a lot of tax dollars on pipe breaks and leaks that could be spent on improvements if borrowing had been prioritized. Densifying first and dealing with the impacts second is never a good idea. This drains valuable resources and is much more expensive in the long run.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective - How are you being represented?
The Quest: Concerns about the Development Application:
Advisory Planning Commission: Two thirds of the Commission’s membership have to be Oak Bay residents. This is required by Local Government Act legislation. As two thirds of the Commissions seven members is 4 2/3, this rounds out to 5 members that must be Oak Bay residents. Presumably the intent of the legislation requiring a 2/3rds resident majority is to ensure existing resident’s interests are protected.
However, the Advisory Planning Meeting minutes regarding the Quest application do not reflect that any Commission member had any concern or recognized any of the development impacts expressed by so many Community residents and the majority of Council.
Advisory Planning Commission
Minutes February 1, 2022:“Commission members expressed general support for project, citing the building design, dark sky considerations, housing agreement and overlook considerations.”
“Moved and Seconded: that the Advisory Planning Commission recommend to Council that Zoning Bylaw Amendment ZON00040 for the property located at 2326 Oak Bay Avenue be approved.”
Advisory Design Panel:
Advisory Design Panel Minutes February 1, 2022 “The Panel strongly encouraged the applicant to increase bicycle storage available for the units.”
“Moved and seconded: That the Advisory Design Panel recommend that Council approve Development Permit DP000038 for the property located at 2326 Oak Bay Avenue.”
Planning Department Report:
The Planning Department’s 20-page Report has only three lines about the Community and Council’s negative development impact concerns as follows.
“Public feedback on the application indicated that the Garry Oak tree was important to the community. There were also concerns about how the height of the building would impact the single detached dwellings located directly to the north.”
The Planning Report referenced an Appendix #6 and indicated that it provided a summery of a February 26, 219 public information meeting at the Windsor Pavilion. However, anyone who attended the standing room only February 26, 219 meeting could only conclude Appendix #6 was a summery of a different meeting.
The Quest development application has been denied three times now by Council, albeit by a single vote on March 14, 2022. It is therefore patently obvious that Council and the Community considered that this development application was inappropriate and unacceptable.
It seems to us that if the Advisory Planning Commission and the Advisory Design Panel were formed to represent residents viewpoints and protect the interests of the community, then at least some of the members of these advisory bodies should have expressed some of the issues that Council and the Community identified and were concerned about.
It is also concerning and obvious that most of the Planning Department’s 20-page report provided information that favored the developer’s perspective and did not adequately reflect resident’s interests.
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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.
Council Meeting March 14, 2022: Agenda Item #10 “The Quest” Condo Development
It is commendable that four Council members voted to deny the Zoning Amendment Bylaw and Housing Agreement for the “The Quest”, an inappropriate development application for a single-family lot site at 2326 Oak Bay Avenue. However, the fact that Councillors Appleton and Ney and the Mayor voted against the motion to deny is concerning.
The development application was for a proposal to build fourteen condominium units on a singe-family lot. Councillors Braithwaite, Green, Paterson and Zhelka voted to deny amending the zoning bylaw based on the massing, height, lack of setbacks, access safety, amount of blasting, environmental damage and the small lot size
This inappropriate development application had already been denied twice previously by Oak Bay Councils based on the impacts and Community opposition: this included almost all residents at several packed community consultation meetings, a resident survey signed by over 800 residents and a number of submissions to Council.
It is therefore not clear, based on the significant amount of community opposition, how Council members Appleton, Murdoch and Ney believe they are working collaboratively with residents in decision-making, as indicated in Oak Bay’s Vision Statement. Or for that matter, that their voting against the motions indicated they would be in favour of approving this development that would have had so many negative impacts on the Community.
District Information
Oak Bay’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is to leave Oak Bay this April and has accepted a position as CAO for Qualicum BC. Since 2010 Oak Bay has averaged a new CAO every four years. However, there has been no substantial improvement to the problems the District has been faced with for over a decade now. For example, the destruction of natural assets: clearcutting trees, vegetation and removal of soil filtration systems by over-building lots.
The District continues to spend a lot of tax dollars on pipe breaks and leaks that could be spent on improvements if borrowing had been prioritized. Densifying first and dealing with the impacts second is never a good idea. This drains valuable resources and is much more expensive in the long run.
Oak Bay Watch Perspective - How are you being represented?
The Quest: Concerns about the Development Application:
Advisory Planning Commission: Two thirds of the Commission’s membership have to be Oak Bay residents. This is required by Local Government Act legislation. As two thirds of the Commissions seven members is 4 2/3, this rounds out to 5 members that must be Oak Bay residents. Presumably the intent of the legislation requiring a 2/3rds resident majority is to ensure existing resident’s interests are protected.
However, the Advisory Planning Meeting minutes regarding the Quest application do not reflect that any Commission member had any concern or recognized any of the development impacts expressed by so many Community residents and the majority of Council.
Advisory Planning Commission
Minutes February 1, 2022:“Commission members expressed general support for project, citing the building design, dark sky considerations, housing agreement and overlook considerations.”
“Moved and Seconded: that the Advisory Planning Commission recommend to Council that Zoning Bylaw Amendment ZON00040 for the property located at 2326 Oak Bay Avenue be approved.”
Advisory Design Panel:
Advisory Design Panel Minutes February 1, 2022 “The Panel strongly encouraged the applicant to increase bicycle storage available for the units.”
“Moved and seconded: That the Advisory Design Panel recommend that Council approve Development Permit DP000038 for the property located at 2326 Oak Bay Avenue.”
Planning Department Report:
The Planning Department’s 20-page Report has only three lines about the Community and Council’s negative development impact concerns as follows.
“Public feedback on the application indicated that the Garry Oak tree was important to the community. There were also concerns about how the height of the building would impact the single detached dwellings located directly to the north.”
The Planning Report referenced an Appendix #6 and indicated that it provided a summery of a February 26, 219 public information meeting at the Windsor Pavilion. However, anyone who attended the standing room only February 26, 219 meeting could only conclude Appendix #6 was a summery of a different meeting.
The Quest development application has been denied three times now by Council, albeit by a single vote on March 14, 2022. It is therefore patently obvious that Council and the Community considered that this development application was inappropriate and unacceptable.
It seems to us that if the Advisory Planning Commission and the Advisory Design Panel were formed to represent residents viewpoints and protect the interests of the community, then at least some of the members of these advisory bodies should have expressed some of the issues that Council and the Community identified and were concerned about.
It is also concerning and obvious that most of the Planning Department’s 20-page report provided information that favored the developer’s perspective and did not adequately reflect resident’s interests.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“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.