A commentary by a Victoria resident.
The City of Victoria has quietly launched a public engagement process for an updated Official Community Plan which will plan the city’s direction until 2034 and beyond.
But city hall has buried the lead, and residents should be concerned.
Council has already decided that there are only two possible options available for a new OCP, they are:
• Six-storey buildings in all residential areas on all streets (perhaps 70-foot in height).
• Four-storey buildings in all residential areas on all streets (about 46-foot in height) and six storey buildings on some unspecified streets.
The online survey offers 20 multiple-choice questions beginning by offering just these two options, with no opportunity to suggest variations or other options.
Nor is there opportunity to chime in on the most fundamental of issues: Density, that is the number of people occupying a given area of land, and the relations to capacity of the street, the neighbourhood, utilities, schools, and open space/trees.
Compared with the recently approved missing middle six-plexes, the options would add much more density and height in all neighbourhoods.
While the missing middle concept was debated for more than two years, the public engagement for the current options would be finalized in just six months – not the 12 months suggested in an accompanying video.
The online site, engage.victoria.ca/ocp, contains additional concerning inadequacies:
• The introductory pages and video again make no mention of the housing specifics.
• The graphics under the heading “Housing Types on a Block” shows no direct side by side street level comparisons of a single-family home and an adjacent six or four storey building. The birds-eye views provided are very misleading.
• Many new villages are proposed, including Dallas Road at Cook Street, Clover Point, and Ross Bay. No further details are provided.
• The plan for public engagement is unclear. A meeting is scheduled for April 6 at City Hall to ask a planner questions – no town hall discussions, and no neighbourhood meetings.
Where are the opportunities for neighbours, friends and councillors to respectively listen, learn, and exchange ideas on the future of our streets and neighbourhoods?
For such a momentous change to our city the engagement process is off to a very timid start. Please, let’s have a redo of the “One City, One Plan” launch, and perhaps add a bit of One Love!
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