REQUEST FOR DECISION
MEETING DATE: April 21, 2026 Report No. APC-26-011
TO: Advisory Planning Commission
FROM: Alex Tang, Planner and Bill Brown, Director of Development Services
SUBJECT: Rezoning Application - 1048 Craigflower Road
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Esquimalt Advisory Planning Commission recommends that Council approve, approve with conditions, or deny the rezoning application to authorize the proposed development of a 6-unit residential development consistent with the architectural plan and landscape plan provided by BDD Homes, to be located at 1048 Craigflower, including reasons for the chosen recommendation.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The applicant is requesting a change in zoning from RD-3 [Two Family Residential] to a comprehensive development zone. This change is required to accommodate the proposed 6-unit townhouse residential building.
Evaluation of this application should focus on issues related to zoning such as the proposed height, density, massing, siting, setbacks, lot coverage, usable open space, parking, land use, fit with the neighbourhood, and consistency with the overall direction contained within the Official Community Plan.
BACKGROUND:
Context:
Applicant / Owner: Baldev Singh
Designer: BDD Homes
Property Size: Metric: 1002 m2 Imperial: 10791 ft2
OCP Present Land Use Designation: Low Density Residential
OCP Proposed Land Use Designation: Townhouse Residential
Existing Land Use: Single-Family Residential
Proposed Land Use: Townhouse Residential
Surrounding Land Uses:
North: Single-Family Residential
South: Golf Course
East: Single-Family Residential
West: Single-Family Residential
ANALYSIS:
OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN ANALYSIS:
OCP Section 5.3 Townhouse Residential Development states an objective to strive for the efficient development of townhouses that improves and enhances the livability of neighbourhoods and the community as a whole.
OCP Section 5.3 states a policy to consider new townhouse residential proposals with a Floor Area Ratio of up to 0.70, and up to three storeys in height, in areas designated Townhouse Residential on the “Proposed Land Use Designation Map,” provided the design responds effectively to both its site and surrounding land uses.
The proposed development is consistent with the Proposed Land Use Designation of ‘Townhouse Residential’. The proposed development consists of 6 units and a floor area ratio of 0.67.
Supporting policies in this section consistent with the proposed development include:
• Support townhouse development that delivers transitional building massing and human-scale design
• Support townhouse development that is sited compactly and makes efficient use of the land
• Townhouse development is encourage in proposed land use designated areas that will reduce single occupancy vehicle use and support transit usage.
• Townhouse design should consider lot configuration, building scale, neighbourhood context, and protected tree preservation.
• Townhouse development is encouraged to accommodate multi-generational families and their pets as a liveable alternative to detached dwellings.
Section 13.3.3 Building Energy Efficiency states the following policies:
• Adopt best practices based on evolving building technologies and materials.
• Encourage the adoption of zero carbon, passive, efficient, and renewable energy systems in new buildings and during building retrofits.
• Encouraging developers to achieve zero carbon, high energy performance in new developments through such tools as density bonusing, expedited permit approval process, rebate of development fees, revitalization tax exemption, and other incentives.
• Pursue higher energy-efficiency performance in new developments, through the achievement of higher steps in the BC Energy Step Code.
Under Section 13.3.6 Passenger Vehicle Alternatives, the following policies are listed:
• Pursue the installation of electric vehicle charging capacity in new developments during the rezoning process.
• Encourage the inclusion of car share in new multi-unit residential developments.
Relevant Development Permit Area Guidelines to consider as it relates to the rezoning application include:
• The size and siting of buildings should reflect the size and scale of adjacent development and complement the surrounding uses. To achieve this, height and setback restrictions may be imposed as a condition of the development permit.
• New buildings should be designed and sited to minimize visual intrusion on to the privacy of surrounding homes and minimize the casting of shadows on to the private outdoor space of adjacent residential units.
• Design townhouse buildings to not exceed 40m in length
• Sufficient building separation should be provided between buildings to maximize daylight and minimize shadowing.
• The common wall overlap between adjoining dwellings should be at least 50%
• Discourage galley-style developments where building complexes are sited perpendicular to the streets and where residential unit entries are oriented internally to the driveway
• Buildings should be sited and parking oriented to minimize the amount of the site dedicated to automobile circulation and parking including encouraging the use of shared driveways between adjacent parcels, to support on-site soft landscaping.
• Orient buildings to take advantage of site-specific climate conditions, in terms of solar access and wind flow; design massing and solar orientation for optimum passive performance.
• Build new developments compactly, considering the solar penetration and passive performance provided for neighbouring sites, and avoid shading adjacent to usable outdoor open spaces.
• Provide space for significant landscaping including varying heights of trees, shrubs and ground covers.
• Provide outdoor amenities such as seating, food gardens, mini-libraries, and play spaces in semi-public areas to enhance the experience of walking and recreating in the neighbourhood.
• Provide space for absorbent landscaping, including significantly sized trees on the site.
ZONING ANALYSIS:
Zoning Bylaw, 1992, No. 2050 does not currently contain a zone that can accommodate this proposed development. The RSM-2 Zone can accommodate this development regarding most of the provisions except that the proposed number of residential units exceeds the amount of residential units allowed. The height and lot coverage proposed is less than the maximum amount allowed within the RSM-2 Zone.
The proposed comprehensive development zone includes the following provisions:
Residential Units: 6
Floor Area Ratio: 0.67
Lot Coverage: 35%
Front Setback: 2.7 m
Eastern Interior Side Setback: 6.0 m
Western Interior Side Setback: 2.4 m
Rear Setback: 13.0 m
Building Height 10.2 m (3 storeys)
Off-Street Parking: 8 parking spaces
Usable Open Space: 13.4%
PARKING ANALYSIS:
Parking Bylaw, 2025, No. 3089 requires 0.5 parking spaces per unit to be provided for townhouse units.
This proposal incorporates 8 parking spaces to serve 6 townhouse dwelling units, conforming to the Parking Bylaw. Hence, the parking offered is more the required amount of parking spaces as detailed below:
6 Townhouse Dwelling Units x 0.5 = 3
6 x 0.1 Visitor Parking Spaces = 0.6
Total = 4 (3 residential and 1 visitor)
ISSUES:
Please consider the massing, height, lot coverage, setbacks, amount of open space and parking in your recommendation to Council.
OPTIONS:
1. That the Advisory Planning Commission recommends to Council that the rezoning application be approved including reason for this recommendation.
2. That the Advisory Planning Commission recommends to Council that the rezoning application be approved subject to conditions, including reason for this recommendation.
3. That the Advisory Planning Commission recommends to Council that the rezoning application be denied including reasons for this recommendation.
COUNCIL PRIORITY:
Housing
REPORT REVIEWED BY:
1. James Davison, Manager of Development Services, Reviewed
2. Bill Brown, Director of Development Services, Reviewed
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
1. Appendix A: Aerial Map
2. Appendix B: Architectural Drawings, Site Plan, Landscape Plan, and Shadow Studies
3. Appendix C: Green Building Checklist
4. Appendix D: Applicant’s Presentation