3508 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

Why does Fred stand out for you when the vote was unanimous?

 

Was just reiterating what I said about Victoria's decision. I disagree with the move as it removes accountability from council and open up the door to abuse (as I crudely pointed out).

 

If the intent was simply to move decisions along faster then all council had to do was commit to reviewing proposals quickly and not letting them get delayed.

 

Anyone have an NPO shell co for sale BTW?

[Sparky]

OK now I get it. I agree that development requires diligent and careful discussion regardless of the type of use.

Blanket pre-approval is not the answer.

[Victoria Watcher]

Edmonton reaches goal to have infill units make up 25% of new homes

 

 

"We enabled a really wide range of housing options in our mature neighbourhoods — things like duplexes, row housing, garden suites, basement suites — that other cities are just starting to talk about now," Salvador said. 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...uncil-1.6432014

[Mike K.]

So have we. So what’s the problem?

Much of Vic West is duplex zoned. We already have a garden suite policy. We already allow ‘illegal’ secondary/basement suites. We’ve celebrated the arrival of micro suites and studios. We even have a system of legalizing illegal suites.

What are we missing, then?

[Barrrister]

What we are missing is the doctors to care for this influx of people. 

[Victoria Watcher]

I'll guess part if it is that we have a greater appreciation, and year-round use of our garden and yard spaces.  And so there is not a scramble to densify our own properties.

[Victoria Watcher]

What we are missing is the doctors to care for this influx of people. 

 

Why does your doctor have to be physically located nearby?  Use telemedicine and/or go to the USA.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 April 2022 - 06:06 AM.

[Sparky]

So have we. So what’s the problem?

Much of Vic West is duplex zoned. We already have a garden suite policy. We already allow ‘illegal’ secondary/basement suites. We’ve celebrated the arrival of micro suites and studios. We even have a system of legalizing illegal suites.

What are we missing, then?

We haven't destroyed the dream of the white picket fence yet. We are only starting to shame the single family dwellers as racist, exclusionary and non diverse.

The whole idea about a single family dwelling is that it is zoned and built for single families. (note: not groups of families in one building) There is a lot to be said for peace and well being of living in one building with one family. We have been doing this in North America for a couple of centuries. The concept caught on well. A lot of people worked hard in order to get one. It is a bonus to know that your single family home was located in an area surrounded by other single family homes because the zoning protected that lifestyle and protected your investment as well as your view of the sun.

We live on a small island in the pacific. We have the best weather pattern in our country. We have a finite amount of space. We have a migration problem that is destroying our way of life. (as we knew it)

We need to set our political identities aside and decide what kind of place do we want to live in 100 years from now. How do we wisely manage the growth that is expected to continue?

This is a task that shouldn't be decided by October just because it's on someone's bucket list.

[spanky123]

Why does your doctor have to be physically located nearby?  Use telemedicine and/or go to the USA.

 

Telemedicine certainly has its place and I use it all the time for prescription renewals and referrals. Not so good for chronic conditions however as getting a new GP every time you call while trying to explain your past history in the 6 minutes you are allotted for your 'visit' doesn't work for most people.

[Mike K.]

We haven't destroyed the dream of the white picket fence yet. We are only starting to shame the single family dwellers as racist, exclusionary and non diverse.

The whole idea about a single family dwelling is that it is zoned and built for single families. (note: not groups of families in one building) There is a lot to be said for peace and well being of living in one building with one family. We have been doing this in North America for a couple of centuries. The concept caught on well. A lot of people worked hard in order to get one. It is a bonus to know that your single family home was located in an area surrounded by other single family homes because the zoning protected that lifestyle and protected your investment as well as your view of the sun.

We live on a small island in the pacific. We have the best weather pattern in our country. We have a finite amount of space. We have a migration problem that is destroying our way of life. (as we knew it)

We need to set our political identities aside and decide what kind of place do we want to live in 100 years from now. How do we wisely manage the growth that is expected to continue?

This is a task that shouldn't be decided by October just because it's on someone's bucket list.

 

100 years ago most of what people consider Victoria's urban core was farmland. We adapted that land to something else, to give more people the opportunity to live here.

 

Surely we can use some more of the 32,000 square kilometers on our island to build more of the housing people love so much?

[Victoria Watcher]

We haven't destroyed the dream of the white picket fence yet. We are only starting to shame the single family dwellers as racist, exclusionary and non diverse.

The whole idea about a single family dwelling is that it is zoned and built for single families. (note: not groups of families in one building) There is a lot to be said for peace and well being of living in one building with one family. We have been doing this in North America for a couple of centuries. The concept caught on well. A lot of people worked hard in order to get one. It is a bonus to know that your single family home was located in an area surrounded by other single family homes because the zoning protected that lifestyle and protected your investment as well as your view of the sun.

We live on a small island in the pacific. We have the best weather pattern in our country. We have a finite amount of space. We have a migration problem that is destroying our way of life. (as we knew it)

We need to set our political identities aside and decide what kind of place do we want to live in 100 years from now. How do we wisely manage the growth that is expected to continue?

This is a task that shouldn't be decided by October just because it's on someone's bucket list.

Take a look at a map. We are not anywhere near hitting the “finite” button. On the lower island. The province. Or the country. We could easily put a city of 2 million right about where Osoyoos is. Pretty nice weather and recreation there too.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 April 2022 - 08:38 AM.

[LJ]

100 years ago most of what people consider Victoria's urban core was farmland. We adapted that land to something else, to give more people the opportunity to live here.

 

Surely we can use some more of the 32,000 square kilometers on our island to build more of the housing people love so much?

But they love it as it is, not full of infill housing and illegal suites.

Instead of solving the problem by stuffing more people into the same space, build new towns/cities.

[Mike K.]

Right. Make more use of the 32,000 square kilometres of land we have available.

[Barrrister]

I am pretty sure that we can find a few hundred empty acres on the mainland in BC.

[Mike K.]

Well, I mean it's not hiding.

 

There are hundreds of thousands of empty acres just next door to us, too.

[dasmo]

It wouldn't even need to be houses with big yards. I lived urban in Rotterdam and the rowhouse community design is efficient and very livable. The Netherlands is one of the densest places on earth. Row house with patch of yard in the back and a large park nearby etc. It is super efficient to lose the front yard and the side yards.

[Victoria Watcher]

Another article that does not even attempt to A cover the possibility that many short term rentals would never become long term rentals if they were regulated out of existence, and B never gives us the full total of existing rentals compared to this relatively small number of short term rentals.


The unregulated stock of short-term rental units in Greater Victoria – such as Airbnbs – has smothered the city’s rental housing market according to local and U.S. civic advocates.

Since 2016, Inside Airbnb has tracked the number and variety of Airbnb listings throughout Greater Victoria. “The picture is very similar to many cities around the world,” said founder Murray Cox from New York. Greater Victoria has 3,156 Airbnb listings, 2,688 or 85 per cent of which are entire homes or apartments.

The listings for entire homes nearly comprise the 2,900 additional units required in the City of Victoria between 2020 and 2025 to fill growing housing demand, according to the Capital Regional District’s housing needs assessment for the City of Victoria. They also contribute to Victoria’s below-optimal rental vacancy rate of one per cent, which ideally should be three to five per cent, said Cox.

https://www.vicnews....housing-market/


3156 Air bnb rentals compared to how many rental units in Greater Victoria? 80,000?

And I know it says 85% are full houses or apartments but that includes basement or other apartments inside homes that have separate entrances and bathrooms but not always full cooking facilities. Most of the latter would never be used for long-term rentals. And many of both are not available year round as they are used by owners and family and friends part of the year.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 April 2022 - 06:23 AM.

[spanky123]

^ Despite those findings, Adams formed a petition of 1,121 signatures in 10 days calling for the ban of unregulated short-term vacation rentals, which the city didn’t respond to with policy.

 

Really. Doesn't Victoria ban unregulated Airbnbs and require owners to license them?!

Edited by spanky123, 29 April 2022 - 06:37 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

It's only Victoria, isn't it?  What abut Saanich, Esq., Oak Bay etc.?

[dasmo]

Maybe over regulation stimulates the problem? Personally I like the product AirBnB produces. But why hide that these developments are crowd sourced hotels? Perhaps because of regulations? IDK. Places like the Janion are perfect as that. It’s even zoned for it. The old hotel model is being replaced. No need to try to squash that to solve a problem that might not be solved by those actions. Plus existing zoning regulations are enough, they just aren’t enforced.