11794 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

I said it’s not a mental illness, you classist.

[Sparky]

Could somebody help me PLEASE!

I received a two page document from the city of Victoria a few days ago informing me that "A change is being considered for your property."

It goes on to say that the city is proposing a change to the Development Permit Areas and would repeal existing older guidelines and apply the "City's approved Design Guidelines for: Multi-unit Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Development.

The document included a crude map and it would appear that our property is subject to some kind of change.

I used to consider that my cognitive skills were at least average, but for the love of Christ, I can not find a simple document from the city of Victoria that explains exactly what is proposed to change.

Our property is located in DPA 5

The mailer says if I want to learn more I should go to engage.victoria.ca/ocp

There is a TON of information here...most of it worded in such a way that I can't understand how the proposed changes will affect our property.

My instincts are that I should engage our lawyer for a cease and desist order until someone can inform me in simple English as to what is about to change....and better yet....when?

[Barrrister]

I am beginning to think that Stephen Andrews is just the next Lisa Helps. He just sent out a survey on the missing middle that forces you to pick one of four progressively worse alternatives as your priority in order to complete the rest of the survey (even if you disagree with all four you have to pick one and state that it is your priority before you can have any say on the other questions). This is what Lisa Helps and the city did all the time. Basically it is both dishonest and manipulative. I am really disappointed in Andrews. 

[Mike K.]

I would write a blanket email to all councillors and the mayor, asking for clarification and explaining that you cannot find and/or decipher the information you are required to know to understand the change.

It could be something very minute and just a matter of course, or it could be something substantial. But if you can’t find the details, I doubt the average member of the public can.

[Barrrister]

If you cant understand the change it is sometimes because the city rather that you did not understand it. Getting your lawyer involved might be wise.

[Sparky]

Here is one of the subsequent engagement pages I encountered.

 

https://www.victoria...k July 2017.pdf

[Spy Black]

Here is one of the subsequent engagement pages I encountered.

That's a $45,000.00 study and report that says absolutely nothing at all if I've ever seen a $45,000.00 report that says absolutely nothing at all (and I've seen far too many of them in my working life).

[Spy Black]

........He just sent out a survey on the missing middle that forces you to pick one of four progressively worse alternatives as your priority in order to complete the rest of the survey (even if you disagree with all four you have to pick one and state that it is your priority before you can have any say on the other questions).......

This type of survey is disingenuous to the core, and is usually the last resort of a person (or group) who are trying to force a very specific result under the guise of public consultation.

 

The reason(s) they try to force a result is always either due to their efforts to fulfill a personal agenda, or the politician being predisposed to believing that they can only actually accomplish one specific result.

God forbid anybody on City Council should actually buckle down, take a risk, stand out from the rest of Council and actually try to fix what's seriously broken in this town ... and what's broken is most definitely not the "missing middle".

[Nparker]

... and what's broken is most definitely not the "missing middle".

This.

[Ismo07]

Here is one of the subsequent engagement pages I encountered.

 

https://www.victoria...k July 2017.pdf

 

Try someone in Planning first..

 

Contact Info

Community Planning
250.361.0382
communityplanning@victoria.ca

[Mike K.]

Yes, good point.

I suggested council just to make them aware that things like this are going on, and the public has no clue what’s happening or where to find information they need. I guarantee council won’t have a clue about this, either.

[Sparky]

^^ Thanks Ismo. Will do.

[Tom Braybrook]

Could somebody help me PLEASE!

I received a two page document from the city of Victoria a few days ago informing me that "A change is being considered for your property."

It goes on to say that the city is proposing a change to the Development Permit Areas and would repeal existing older guidelines and apply the "City's approved Design Guidelines for: Multi-unit Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Development.

The document included a crude map and it would appear that our property is subject to some kind of change.

I used to consider that my cognitive skills were at least average, but for the love of Christ, I can not find a simple document from the city of Victoria that explains exactly what is proposed to change.

Our property is located in DPA 5

The mailer says if I want to learn more I should go to engage.victoria.ca/ocp

There is a TON of information here...most of it worded in such a way that I can't understand how the proposed changes will affect our property.

My instincts are that I should engage our lawyer for a cease and desist order until someone can inform me in simple English as to what is about to change....and better yet....when?

in short they want to apply DPA 16 (Development Permit Area) to your neighbourhood - yours is one of several neighbourhoods covered by special DPA's, in you case DPA 5 

 

DPA 16 applies to the entire city, and they are ensuring you are aware that it also covers your DPA as well, because DPA  5 had its own specific guidelines - you can find them on page 23 of the OCP link below

 

basically they want to have the same development controls in your area as the rest of the city  -  hopefully this helps make it as clear as mud

 

 

 

you want to use this link, download the .pdf and read the last two pages of the document

 

https://engage.victo...documents/53359

 

 

 

also go to this link and download appendices to the OCP - look at page 102 for the new guidelines and page 23 for the current guidleines

 

https://www.victoria.../Appendix A.pdf

Edited by tommy, 05 July 2022 - 10:05 AM.

[Sparky]

Bless you tommy.

[Seechelle1969]

Speaking of hate speech, what about that mural?

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said she considers a Times Colonist cartoon “hate speech.”

Less than 20 months ago, the same individual defended the council-funded mural in Bastion Square that included “All Cops are Bastards” as artistic expression and promoting difficult conversations.

Let’s hope that in October we will elect a mayor with an understanding of freedom of expression, hate speech and hypocrisy.

Alan Humphries
Victoria

https://www.timescol...-speech-5547517

[max.bravo]

This type of survey is disingenuous to the core, and is usually the last resort of a person (or group) who are trying to force a very specific result under the guise of public consultation.

 

The reason(s) they try to force a result is always either due to their efforts to fulfill a personal agenda, or the politician being predisposed to believing that they can only actually accomplish one specific result.

God forbid anybody on City Council should actually buckle down, take a risk, stand out from the rest of Council and actually try to fix what's seriously broken in this town ... and what's broken is most definitely not the "missing middle".

I assumed it was mostly a ploy to boost his email subscribers. You had to register with name and municipality and email address in order to do the "survey"

[Stephen James]

I assumed it was mostly a ploy to boost his email subscribers. You had to register with name and municipality and email address in order to do the "survey"

That's one possible guess but a bit cynical.

 

Stephen should have left a field for "other" because without one people feel boxed into choices they may not agree with... certainly an oversight.

 

I'm going to guess that Stephen is worried the MMI will be another example of a huge change, with lots of emotional investment, but without a good understanding of how the community feels.

 

We've had a few of those over the last 8-10 years. Personally, I've felt like council didn't give a crap because they were "doing the work of the righteous" on behalf of a very small part of the community, (and screw the rest of us).

 

If he ends up being Mayor, I do know he would like folks to feel less like government is being done to them.

[Mike K.]

We don't even have a good understanding of how the initiative is supposed to work, and what its outcomes will be.

 

That should require more investment into studying the impacts of the plan. Rushing to vote on it serves nobody, not the developers, not the municipality, and not the city at-large. Great ideas and big dreams don't matter if they are not practical.

[Nparker]

Other than to achieve some sort of "woke-ish" feather in the mayor's cap (During my term as mayor, I solved the housing crisis in the CoV), I am really puzzled as to why this policy needs to be decided before the October municipal election. If it's good policy, I am sure the fine folks who will be elected in the fall will look at it with the all the consideration it deserves. 

Edited by Nparker, 06 July 2022 - 10:30 AM.

[Mike K.]

Yes, that appears to be the sole pursuit here.