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Get the Facts
In June 2024 the province set a goal of 588 new housing units to be built in Central Saanich over the next five years. In the past 2-3 years we have built 599 units, with hundreds more going through the approval process. We are doing very well with adding housing and should not feel any urgency about approving this proposal on Hovey. . |
Pumpkins at Michell Farms Central Saanich
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Background:
Central Saanich is on the verge of approving a major development on a quiet residential road (Hovey Road). The developer would tear down 5 homes and build two, 4 storey multi-unit buildings. The zones are currently Residential Neighbourhood and Residential Corridor and they would be rezoned to Multi-Unit Residential. The developer has made purchase offers to owners and five have agreed to sell. This multi-unit residential project is in violation of the Official Community Plan (OCP) and if Council approves this, it could happen on your street too. Timeline: October 21, 2024: Application to amend the OCP - Failed at Council. November 4, 2024: Council passed a motion to reconsider the application. Dec. 9, 2024: Public Hearing: Postponed. Dec. 19, 2024: Developer submitted revised application reducing building heights to 4 storeys Public Hearing: Wednesday, March 5 & 6. Saanich Fairgrounds. No Decision Yet. What is the proposal for 1934 Hovey Road? Legion Manor has entered into an agreement with a developer to construct a new building south of their property on East Saanich road. It will be four storeys high and contain 57 units of housing for low-income seniors. West of this building the developer will construct another much larger four storey building that will have 130 rental units. This is not related to the Legion. As required by the District, 10% of these units – 13 – will be offered at a lower rent for 10 years. What are the problems with this proposal? This development is not consistent with the Official Community Plan, as the properties are zoned Residential Neighbourhood and Residential Corridor rather than Multi-unit. It will require the demolition of 5 single family homes, cutting the neighbourhood in half and leaving an “orphaned” home at the end of Hovey Road. One of the goals of the Official Community Plan is to avoid situations where a new development leaves an orphaned lot. All of the homeowners left on the street will lose the quality of life they have worked hard to build and likely the re-sale value of their homes. They will be subjected to years of the disruption, noise and disturbance of living within a large construction site. How may this affect other single-family neighbourhoods in Central Saanich? The main risk of going ahead with this re-zoning is the risk to other single-family neighbourhoods. Having participated in the consultations and helped to develop the Official Community Plan (OCP), single family homeowners living in areas designated as single family (or duplex) zoning assumed that their neighbourhoods would be protected by the OCP. These residents were hit again by the Province of British Columbia Bill 44’s elimination of all the single-family zone categories and had to accept that any lot in their neighbourhood could be converted to accommodate up to 4 living units. (Read more about this on the FACTS page.) This was a shock to many, who expressed their concerns to Council. Now they see this proposal as the beginning of open season for assembling land and demolishing single family homes in order to build higher density developments. Saanich is a municipality where only a very limited proportion of our land base is available for housing. Sixty-one percent of the land is protected for use as farmland by the Agricultural Land Commission. Essentially only the villages of Brentwood Bay and Saanichton, plus a few scattered areas outside of them are available for single family and multi-family housing. Our New Official Community Plan From 2020 to 2023 Central Saanich engaged residents in a consultation process to come up with a new Official Community Plan (OCP). This plan specifies the areas that are available for single family housing and multifamily housing. People living in single family neighbourhoods thought that the OCP would provide them with the security of knowing that their homes would be secure from demolition and replacement by high density multi-family developments. We are now facing the first test of the OCP, with a development proposal that, if approved, will demolish half of a well-established small neighbourhood at the edge of Saanichton. What is an Official Community Plan? According to the BC government website, Official Community Plans describe the long-term vision of communities. They are a statement of objectives and policies that guide decisions on municipal and regional district planning and land use management. Local governments are not required to adopt an Official Community Plan. However, after the adoption of an official community plan, all bylaws enacted or works undertaken must be consistent with the plan. ZONING: Official Community Plans include maps of the municipality that show the zoning that is applied to specified areas. These areas are designated for commercial use, industrial, institutional, park or residential. Residential areas are designated as being either for multi-unit (aka multi-family) buildings or single-family houses. What happened with Bill 44? In November 2023, the Province of British Columbia introduced changes to the Local Government Act with the goal of increasing the speed and supply of new housing across BC. In June 2024, Central Saanich Council adopted a new zoning bylaw for residential lots inside the urban containment boundary zone. To achieve the requirements outlined by Bill 44, current residential zones have been replaced with two new zones: The Residential Neighbourhood Zone applies to most lands in the urban containment boundary and permits 3 or 4 units depending on lot size, in line with provincial requirements. The Residential Corridor Zone aligns with the Main Corridor designation in the Official Community Plan, and permits either 4, 6 or 8 units depending on lot size. It is important to note that four “units” is not equal to four buildings nor is the number of permitted dwelling units a guarantee of achievable density. On the average residential lot, only two buildings will be permitted, but they can contain suites (up to four units total). What are the Province’s housing goals for Central Saanich and how are we doing? In June 2024 the province set a goal of 588 new housing units to be built over the next five years. In the past 2-3 years we have built 599 units, with hundreds more going through the approval process. We are doing very well with adding housing and should not feel any urgency about approving this proposal on Hovey. Doesn't the Legion need this development to meet it's needs? We agree that more seniors' housing needs to be built. The Legion Manor on East Saanich Road, is a 5.5 acre lot. This is a very large lot with many areas that offer potential for adding units. The townhomes are 50 years old and could be redeveloped for a higher density. Funding is available from BC Housing for redevelopment. There are also other recent seniors housing within the Capital Regional District (CRD) that provide good models of development. The Legion Manor is managed by the South Vancouver Island Housing Society. Housing built or under construction from 2020 - 2024:
The 2019 Housing Needs Assessment for Central Saanich called for 557 units by 2025, which has been met. Approved but not yet built: 1183 Verdier Ave 110 Affordable Rental units (approved) 7005 East Saanich Rd 68 Senior Care units (approved). Total: 178 units Total by year 2026: 777 units What are the questions that Council needs to think about when considering this proposal?
Where can I find information on this development?
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