Planning, Parks & Compliance

James Bay Neighbourhood Association

An on-going Beacon feature on land use & planning - to alert, inform, and prompt community action - and to celebrate success!

An audience of 80 to 90 James Bay residents attended the June 2010 meeting of the James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA) to review progress on the Ogden Point Master Plan and the development proposal for 257 Belleville Street.

Ogden Point Master Plan

If you expected the June 2010 presentation by GVHA Society consultants, CH2M Hill, to explain the future planned for Ogden Point, you were disappointed. While providing little in the way of detail or vision, they reviewed the processes involved in the creation of a master plan, a document that defines direction for future development.

Ogden Point will continue as a working port facility, able to respond to the opportunities and challenges of the future and serve as an economic development engine for the GVHA Society, the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, and the region.

The consultants continue the consultation and information gathering process, while developing a working relationship with City staff. They have conducted preliminary reviews of the environmental and economic/market conditions, and generated the founding land use principles. As education of the GVHA Board cannot be an insignificant part of their responsibilities, they may be our best hope in this process.

Next steps include:

• generation of options/refinements,
• generation of additional engineering, environmental, and economic assessments, and
• development of a master plan that establishes the re-zoning framework.

A question and answer session provided the following detail:

- GVHA will contribute to the Harbour pathway on-site at Ogden Point,

- spot rezoning may be sought for individual areas of the site,

- plug-in shore power may be a part of a clean air and environment strategy,

- a light rail transit system from Ogden Point to the city centre may be considered as part of the master plan,

- GVHA will return to the JBNA within 4 to 6 months to provide an update as part of the CALUC process.

Other issues and suggestions:

- increased attention to community issues,

- an environmental review of all aspects of Ogden Point operations - not just the soil, and - most dense development adjacent to the helicopter site to shelter the neighbourhood from noise.

Development Proposal: 257 Belleville Development (Admiral Inn Site)

This proposal is now presented as a cascading 8-storey structure, stepped back from the harbour, taking cues of building form and height from surrounding buildings, while protecting the harbour views of the adjacent neighbour, Laurel Point Condominiums. A diagonal corner creates a visual connection between Charles Redfern Park and the park-like grounds of the gracious Gatsby's Mansion.

For some reason Gatsby's Mansion, backed by the Huntington, (3-storeys) and the heritage home at the end of the block on Pendray Street receive no mention as 'adjacent ' neighbours in regards to building form and height. The minimal setbacks of the proposal certainly take no cues from the park-like settings of either Laurel Point or the Gatsby.

JBNA members expressed concerns regarding density, loss of light, loss of peace and privacy, traffic congestion, and insufficient set-backs. Can you imagine similar density and setbacks applied to Gatsby's, once this precedent is set?

CORRESPONDENCE

A summary of a JBNA letter to Mayor Dean Fortin regarding Air Quality, Cruise Ships and Helicopters:

GVHA Society operations at Ogden Point are in contravention of the permitted M-2 Light Industrial District zoning. Ogden Point is the location at which cruise ship and commercial helicopter operations are based.  Once cruise ships turn toward the Ogden Point piers, they leave Transport Canada jurisdictional waters and enter the GVHA Society waterlot.  At this point, municipal responsibility for the activity takes over.

M-2 Light Industrial District zoning permits the operation of docks, wharves and piers, provided operations are not noxious or offensive to the immediate neighbourhood or the general public by reason of emitting odours, dust, smoke, gas, noise, effluent or hazard. The GVHA has not taken corporate responsibility for the pollution created by its operations.  The JBNA request that the City of Victoria take immediate action to ensure that the GVHA Society comes into compliance with the M-2 Zoning. 

JBNA Parks Committee Report

City Parks staff have developed a Traffic Management Plan with options to guide traffic and trail improvements and increase public safety in Beacon Hill Park, while creating a more appealing experience for pedestrians and cyclists.

In response to problems in Irving Park as well as suggestions for improvements, the JBNA will host a discussion forum in the fall.

Consultants have outlined daunting technical and financial challenges to the proposed 'daylighting' of the deeply buried stream in the west end of Fisherman's Wharf Park. Either option (a fresh water rivulet or a small tidal estuary) will require extensive excavation to reach the stream bed and the removal of tons of fill off-site. The volume of potentially contaminated soil creates significant financial risk. Analysis and discussions continue.

Do you think adding picnic tables would increase resident use and enjoyment of MacDonald Park? Please comment to any JBNA Board member, phone Janis at 250-385-1419 or email her at: jar@islandnet.com

In the coming months:

In July Kate Longpre will make a presentation on Recreation Opportunities available at the James Bay Community Centre. A Development Proposal for 411 Kingston Street will also be presented.

Downtown coming to James Bay?

City Planning staff will present the proposed Downtown Plan at the August JBNA general Meeting.

The Plan proposes that the northern part of James Bay become part of a larger downtown core. Downtown policies may affect future zoning. 

As part of the Official Community Plan, the City has created an Urban Design Discussion Paper.  Within this document is a segmentation of James Bay which reflects the way the City sees James Bay residents as living in several sub-communities. The plan is available on the city's webpage at http://www.victoria.ca/cityhall/departments_plnpln_downtown-core.shtml.

James Bay residents interested in providing input into City plans concerning the James Bay neighbourhood have an opportunity to do so on August 11 from 7 to 9 pm, at New Horizons, 234 Menzies.

Following are some preliminary responses to the Discussion Paper from JBNA information officer Brian Scarfe.

Overall Perspectives:

The draft Downtown Core Area Plan (DCAP) distinguishes five main areas: central business district, historic commercial district, inner harbour district, Rock Bay district, and residential mixed-use district.

The Victoria Sustainability Framework:

- There is insufficient weight given to the four pillars (economic vitality, ecological integrity, community liveability, and resiliency) of the Victoria Sustainability Framework as an overarching value system.

- The draft plan pays insufficient attention to factors that affect quality of life, or community liveability and is insufficiently people-orientated.

- Environmental issues, such as noise pollution and airshed emissions, are ignored. "If a city is created for residents, tourists will love it; a city created for tourists becomes unliveable."

- Ongoing monitoring of noise pollution and air quality should be mandatory, and compared with standards/guidelines, such as those developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Economic Vitality: Restoration and Development:

- What are the innovative and diversifying new businesses that will maintain economic vitality?

- The redevelopment of the Rock Bay district requires an "urban anchor" such as a major performing arts centre.

Implementation Costs, Funding Requirements, and Trade-Offs:

- The draft plan pays insufficient attention to trade-offs between objectives and the costs associated with achieving objectives.

- Cost concerns: Victoria has the lowest average household income in the CRD, while having the highest property tax rates, partly because there are central city costs that are not borne elsewhere. Are development plans for the downtown core affordable? Will implementation costs lead to over-taxation and induce people to move from Victoria to other CRD municipalities enhancing the development of satellite urban cores at the expense of downtown Victoria. Is there a danger that the urban core will hollow out due to high property taxes, lack of attention to environmental issues, late night rowdiness, and other central city problems?

The Harbour:

- All redevelopment plans for the inner harbour district must meet with City of Victoria approval, even though other players may be land-owners. The City must control what happens to its "jewel".

- Should both the number of aircraft movements and the number of cruise ship calls be capped? Should the GVHA be made directly accountable to City Council?

Urban Structure and Transportation:

- Insufficient attention is given within DCAP to the provision of secure bicycle parking and dedicated bicycle paths in the urban core. If disincentives to driving (and parking) cars downtown become too large, will businesses locate, or relocate, to other parts of the CRD?

Street Re-alignments:

- Do east-west arterial routes and major north-south transportation and transit routes need realignment? How can a "main street focus" with cafes and restaurants be encouraged? Creating a Government Street pedestrian mall would improve the liveability of the downtown core, and make it a more attractive place for residents.

Adjacent Neighbourhoods and Public Engagement:

- Are neighbourhood plans, and even the Official Community Plan (OCP), to be subordinated to the goals of the DCAP? Are adjacent neighbourhood plans to be unilaterally revised to support the draft Downtown plan?

- How does one ensure, and maintain, consistency among overlapping plans?

Volunteer needed

The JBNA is in need of a volunteer to become the recording secretary.  Duties would focus on minute taking at the monthly general meetings.  If you are interested in learning more about your community and have quick fingers on the keyboard, please consider volunteering for this position.  Send a note to jbna@vcn.bc.ca or contact any member of the JBNA Board.