PERIOD REPORT
DATE: May 27, 2024 Report No. DEV-24-034
TO: Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Bill Brown, Director of Development Services
SUBJECT:TITLE Development Services Department - 2024 First Period Report
Body
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Development Services Department from January 1, 2024 to April 30, 2024.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Rezoning Application / Official Community Plan Amendments
In addition to processing rezoning applications submitted previously (Appendix “B”), the Department received one new rezoning application in the first period:
• 903 Admirals Road - rezone to new 8-unit townhouse development
2. Development Permit (DP) Applications
In addition to the existing development permit applications that staff continued to process (Appendix “B”), the department received four new applications in the first period:
• 904 Admirals Road- DP for a duplex each with a suite.
• 884 Lampson Street - DP for 119-unit multi-family residential
• 533 Admirals Road - DP for Tudor Liquor Store storage extension
• 958 Wollaston St - Delegated DP for 4-unit stacked townhouses
3. Development Variance Permit (DVP) Applications
In addition to continuing to process existing DVP applications (Appendix “B”), four new DVP applications were received during the first period.
• 904 Admirals Road - for front and rear setbacks for Lot A (existing house)
• 533 Admirals Road - interior side yard setback
• 453 Admirals Road - delegated, minor front yard setback.
• 540 West Bay Terrace - delegated, below grade encroachment into eastern side yard setback.
4. Board of Variance Application (BOV)
• No new applications were received in the first period. See Appendix “B” for ongoing applications.
5. Heritage Alteration Permits (HAP)
• No new applications were received in the first period. See Appendix “B” for ongoing applications.
6. Subdivision Applications
In addition to continuing to process existing SUB applications (Appendix “B”), one new SUB application was received during the first period.
• 1253 Lyall Street - 2-lot subdivision
7. Temporary Use Permit [TUP] Applications
• No new applications were received in the first period. See Appendix “B” for ongoing applications.
8. Liquor Licence Applications
In addition to continuing to process existing LIQ applications (Appendix “B”), one new LIQ application was received during the first period.
• 505 Park Place - unit 101 - Saxe Point Public House
9. Legal Documents
• 918 Old Esquimalt Road Units 1 - 5, Discharge of Covenant.
• 817 Esquimalt Road - Modification to Section 219 Covenant and Housing Agreement.
• 850 Colville Road and 842 Carrie Street - Discharge of Section 219 Covenant.
10. Other Planning Projects
• Staff prepared several staff reports for the Committee of the Whole related to the provincial Small Scale Multi Unit Housing initiative.
• Worked with the consulting team on the Integrated Parking Study.
• Worked on an Omnibus Amending Bylaw for the Zoning Bylaw, 1992, No. 2050.
• Continued to work on the Official Community Plan recalibration (January).
• Drafted design guidelines to accompany Small Scall Multi-Unit Housing zoning amendments.
• Prepared amendments to the Development Application Procedures and Fees Bylaw to delegate development variance permits for minor variances and development permits for up to 6-residential units to the Director of Development Services. Adopted by Council on March 4, 2024
11. Consultation
• Staff participated in several pre-application consultations with various developers and architects actively preparing submissions for multiple family residential projects.
• Consulted with developers and commercial realtors to identify possible sites for small lot infill, commercial mixed use, and high-density residential development in
Esquimalt.
• Fielded a significant volume of realtor, appraiser, developer, and potential home buyer inquiries regarding properties in Esquimalt.
• Fielded a significant volume of inquiries about Short-Term Rentals in Esquimalt.
12. Sustainability
• Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Roadmap to develop a concrete action plan to reduce corporate greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 presented to COTW and included in Council Priorities Plan.
• Attended the Building Benchmark BC partner meeting.
• Internal Climate Action Working Group met three times. Development services staff repaired agenda and minutes for the meetings.
• Staff continue to work with the CRD Climate Action Inter-Municipal Working Group.
• Staff began working on Terms of Reference for the Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Road Map project.
• Staff completed the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Fund (GMF) for a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Pathway Feasibility Study Grant pre-application and were granted preliminary approval and an invite to complete a full application.
• Met with BC Hydro Account Manager to explore retrofit grant opportunities.
• Attended the inaugural Community Energy Association and the Province of BC’s Climate Action Secretariat’s Resilience Peer Network meeting.
• Worked with City of Victoria and greater Victoria staff on a Union of BC Municipalities Community Emergency Preparedness Fund - Disaster Risk Reduction - Climate Adaptation grant application for a ‘Gorge Waterway Coastal Flood Adaptation Initiative’ grant application.
• Wrote a staff report requesting a Council resolution to support the Township’s inclusion in the Gorge Waterway Coastal Flood Adaptation Initiative grant application with the City of Victoria.
• Met with CRD staff, and Parks and Recreation staff to plan for Esquimalt’s role in the ‘CRD Regional Public EV Charger’ project.
• Attended the CRD led ‘Energy and Carbon Emissions Reporting: Commercial Buildings’ focus group sessions.
• Attended the CRD ‘Extreme Heat Data & Information Portal Workshop’
• Attended and invited Parks staff to the initial CRD ‘2 Billion Trees Partner Meeting’ to discuss a grant initiative.
13. Geographic Information System (GIS)
• Provided digital data to the Integrated Cadastral Information Society.
• Created and updated online maps and specific thematic maps for staff.
• Provided mapping services to other departments as requested.
• Enhanced routine data maintenance tasks with scripting.
• Processed LiDAR data to create high vegetation canopy coverage map and 3D building map.
• Processed census data in 2021 to GIS format to be integrated in GIS maps.
• Created a GIS Open Data Portal for the public to explore and download GIS datasets. This was presented to the Committee of the Whole on March 11, 2024.
• Made several census maps and census dashboards.
• Made several SSMUH maps, climate change dashboards, and ArcGIS Urban 3D models.
14. Other
• Reviewed numerous Building Permit applications for compliance with development permits and zoning regulations.
• Assisted with updating and relaunching the website.
• Reviewed Business Licence Applications for Zoning Compliance.
• Responded to property information requests.
• Processed 18 Freedom of Information requests for building plans.
• Met with the Urban Development Institute liaison committee.
• Attended meeting of the Regional Planning Directors.
• Attended the Regional Housing Affordability and Prosperity community of practice’s tenant assistance policy round table.
• Wrote a Terms of Reference for the Health Needs Assessment.
• Staff took part in the Day of Mourning ceremony in Memorial Park.
• Co-authored an article in Plan Canada on earthquake risk.
• Participated in a national webinar hosted by the Canadian Institute of Planners on Planning for Earthquake Risk.
15. Training
Staff attended the following training sessions:
• Staff attended several webinars relating to Small-scale, Multi-unit Housing.
• Staff attended online workshops, including: 8 80 Cities with Gil Penalosa, Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) Corporate Reporting Webinar <https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/climate-change/local-governments/local-government-climate-action-program>, the RUSH Initiative <https://whatstherush.ca/>, FCM Green Municipal Fund - Make your sustainability project stand out with ‘multi-solving’, and ’FCM Green Municipal Fund - Accelerate your communitys net-zero transformation <https://greenmunicipalfund.ca/resources/webinar-recording-accelerate-your-communitys-net-zero-transformation-new-gmf-funding?_cldee=wbFfrSWxTYRLW7i9cR8KZ2yW07gwvaq8BIhM566jOPdYTuTdhFo9JGeu5k466hCo&recipientid=contact-755965c8a510ec1180da005056bc7996-6d5b6870e43c405db1246c3142ecc9c3&esid=13d37e50-2c03-ef11-80e4-005056a3e2c0>.
16. Statistics
See Appendix “A” for status of existing housing applications.
II. COMMITTEES
Advisory Planning Commission:
• The Advisory Planning Commission met three times in the first period and reviewed five applications and considered the Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing staff report.
Design Review Committee:
• The Design Review Committee met three times in the first period and reviewed two applications and considered the Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing staff report.
Board of Variance:
• The Board of Variance did not meet during the first period.