50 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

The winner of Saturday’s byelection in North Saanich will be joining a “slow-moving ongoing train wreck,” according to a former district councillor.

The district has become deeply divided, amid a review of its Official Community Plan, between those who want to maintain the rural nature of the district, and those who would like to see more affordable housing constructed.

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Weisenberger expects Marshall is likely to win, because the advocacy group Save North Saanich has selected her as their preferred candidate.

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During the October election campaign, the group, which says it wants to keep the district rural, endorsed five of seven people who were elected, including Jones and councillors Celia Stock, Jack McClintock, Irene McConkey and Sanjiv Shrivastava.

Marshall, who has lived in North Saanich for the last 10 years, works for the Victoria Police Department and runs a small hobby farm that includes an apiary, said she is open to options for affordable housing that fit with the district’s rural character and green spaces.

https://www.timescol...aturday-7245324

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 July 2023 - 05:15 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Kristine Marshall is North Saanich’s newest elected councillor.

Marshall handily won the byelection on Saturday with 1,210 votes. The runner up, Ryan Lay, a lawyer who said he wanted to increase affordable housing in the municipality, received 471 votes. Raymon Farmere received 50 votes.

https://www.timescol...lection-7252532

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 July 2023 - 02:00 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Once again, let's review:

 

 

I think NS has more than enough places to put a little density, without affecting the rest of the place.

 

This is the ALR map:

 

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 July 2023 - 03:13 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

^ I've taken the liberty to show where another 3,000-5,000 dense housing units can go, on less than 3% of the land base.

 

You're welcome.  

 

Can the airport help, can we put some housing here?

 

 

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 July 2023 - 03:25 AM.

[Sparky]

^ Have you every tried to sleep right next to an airport? I have.

 

Not cool.

[Victoria Watcher]

These are all houses.  Yes, not for everyone.  Know the situation before you move in.

 

 

   

[aastra]

 

^ Have you every tried to sleep right next to an airport? I have.

 

Not everyone has slept next to an airport, but most of us have probably slept inside an airport at some point. Methinks we're missing out on major housing opportunities in the middle of the terminal buildings.

[LJ]

^ Have you every tried to sleep right next to an airport? I have.

 

Not cool.

Residents of Burkeville don't seem to mind.

[GaryOak]

You get use to the noise.

[Victoria Watcher]

You get use to the noise.

 

And/or you build to mitigate sound impacts.  Can be done.

[Victoria Watcher]

North Saanich has approved a new timeline to complete its Official Community Plan update by early next year, after senior staff departures and the resignation of a consultant stalled the process.

The OCP update was initially intended to be complete by about June, but the timeline has been pushed back to next February.

Mayor Peter Jones said the delay shouldn’t add any cost to residents and he’s hearing little pushback from the community on the new timeline.

“It’s rare that when I’m out in the public that I would get a negative opinion on where we are with the OCP,” he said.

However, Coun. Jack McClintock said he has received more feedback from residents in the last week since the new timeline was established than he ever has on an issue in his three terms as a councillor.

“There’s a lot of frustration,” he said.

https://www.timescol...xt-year-8333707

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 February 2024 - 07:41 AM.

[Mike K.]

What’s rare, is to have a four lane freeway running through a community, and no housing density, while communities that are growing hand over fist, are told to sit down, and shut up about needing more road infrastructure.

[Victoria Watcher]

Senior stymied in effort to split half-acre North Saanich property in two

 

 

Barbara Tolmie wanted to turn her property into two lots so her son could build a home next door and support her as she ages

 

https://www.timescol...-in-two-9490335

 

 

 

 

That’s why Tolmie is hoping to subdivide her almost half-acre property at 8511 Bexley Terr., just off the Patricia Bay Highway, into two equal-size lots of 10,700 square feet (1,000 square metres).

 

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She would remain in her home on one lot and her son Barry Tolmie, currently living in Saskatchewan, would build a home on the other, where he could retire and support Tolmie as she ages.

 

“There’s nowhere in North Saanich to go. There are no small lots to build on. There’s no retirement home,” she said. “I do not want to leave my community at my age. Now to pick up and move to a new community and make new friends at my age. It’s just too much. I can’t handle that.”

 

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The minimum lot size permitted under current zoning is 1,400 square metres or 15,000 square feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bc Assessment has the house and property at $1.3M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know, there are many other ways the goal (son being close to mom) can be acheived, without the substantial personal financial upside subdivision creates here. 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 September 2024 - 03:32 AM.

[lanforod]

That’s true but what’s the downside to allowing this subdivision? Is there infrastructure limitations? Then account for that. Etc

[LJ]

Couldn't she just build an auxiliary housing unit without subdividing? Presumably the son will inherit the whole property sooner or later.

[Matt R.]

Add a room with an ensuite on the house then add an illegal kitchen if they need that much separate space.

[Mike K.]

Can’t you build a 6-storey, 24-unit building in that spot? It has all of the services.

[max.bravo]

It’s obvious the mother wants to subdivide so the son can sell her house when she dies, increasing his inheritance.

What’s funny is because of Bill 44, instead of just 2 houses on that lot, they might have to build 4 or 6 to get it through approvals. Gotta love those unintended consequences.

[Victoria Watcher]

North Saanich finally passes OCP after years of battles

 

While the district’s director of planning says the new plan sets the district up to meet provincial housing targets, some councillors disagreed, with three of seven voting against it.

 

https://www.timescol...attles-10965588

 

 

 

Councillors Jack McClintock, Celia Stock and Phil DiBattista all opposed the new plan.

 

DiBattista said he does not believe the plan gives the district any likelihood of meeting provincial housing targets, putting North Saanich at risk of having a special adviser appointed by the province.

 

McClintock said he’s heard from North Saanich residents who are unhappy with the document. “The public is not in support of this,” he said.

 

Stock said she has heard from many residents who believe the district is overstepping its jurisdiction by designating the Victoria International Airport land as a development permit area for multi-family, commercial and industrial uses.

 

Development permit areas are a planning tool that local governments can use to ensure proposed development is consistent with community goals, according to the OCP, which says the airport is under federal jurisdiction.

 

 

[...]

 

 

Most of the density increase allowed in the new plan is in the McTavish Road area, where land-use designations allow for multi-family residential developments and townhouses, both up to three storeys, Mazzoni said. Four storeys in seniors’ housing can be considered, he said.

 

The plan also allows for increased density in the southeast corner of the district, around Amity Drive, where single-family homes can have a secondary suite and a carriage house, a self-contained residential unit on an upper floor above an accessory, such as a garage.

 

Lots in the area larger than around 0.7 acres can have a detached residential unit in addition to a secondary suite.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 July 2025 - 04:59 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

https://northsaanich...1587-2025-1.pdf

 

 

 

Seems a bit odd the area they chose for multi-family (purple).