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Saanich faces controversy over proposed Cadboro plan
Saanich council got an earful at last week’s meeting as Cadboro Bay residents weighed in on proposed housing options under the local area plan at last week’s committee of the whole meeting.
Most of the people who addressed council expressed concern about adding density to Cadboro Bay Village—no surprise as nearly half of the 837 people who answered a community survey question about increasing height and density of housing to "meet housing/community objectives" such as affordable housing were "strongly not supportive" of the proposal while another 16% were "not supportive," for a total of 63% against.
Opposition to height and skepticism about price
About half of survey respondents gave support to three-storey buildings near the UVic Edge and Village Centre areas, and certain four-storeys in those areas. But there was little support for those heights in the Northeastern Village Expansion area and more than 70% opposition to all buildings of six or more storeys in all areas.
Respondents were generally not swayed by promises of affordable or below-market housing being included. Some letter-writers were skeptical that it could be achieved, citing the already high costs of acquiring Cadboro Bay real estate. Some feared that developers would push for height to stay profitable. A frequent sentiment in the public feedback was that the area was quiet and communal, and would be disrupted by development itself or incentives to sell to developers.
One individual, who accused council of prioritizing developer profits, was cautioned about the need to maintain a respectful tone while participating in public debate.
Councillors say unexpected differences fueled pushback
Coun. Colin Plant suggested that the public consternation stemmed from a mismatch between what residents were expecting to see. "What was put out to the public was not necessarily what they envisioned would be put out to the public," he said.
Mayor Fred Haynes echoed that sentiment, noting that "what was initially intended as a more modest sort of exercise and exploration has clearly not landed" the way council expected. Some residents specifically said in letters that the earlier plans they had seen were smaller in scale, and said they were revoking support that they had given to those earlier plans.
After extended discussion, council voted to support a motion from Coun. Susan Brice to have staff return to the local area plan and make "minor refinements based on feedback received" during the recent public engagement and then bring it back to council for consideration. Couns. Zac de Vries, Ned Taylor, and Rebecca Merserau voted against the motion.
Clamour in Cadboro; calm in Cordova
Cadboro Bay also experienced controversy earlier this year, as the debate over whether dogs should be lashed on the beach due to migratory birds grew so acrimonious that someone was mailed a dead rodent.
The Cadboro Bay Plan is not to be confused with the Cordova Bay Local Area Plan, a guide to the next 20-30 years of growth in Cordova Bay, which was adopted by council earlier this year. That plan keeps the area as a low-rise (i.e. four-storey max) neighbourhood, but will add residential infill and pedestrianize the main strip.
Council’s next meeting is September 19.
Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 August 2022 - 05:26 AM.
