REQUEST FOR DECISION
MEETING DATE: April 21, 2026 Report No. APC-26-007
TO: Advisory Planning Commission
FROM: Alex Tang, Planner and Bill Brown, Director of Development Services
SUBJECT: Rezoning Application - 1140 & 1148 Esquimalt Road
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Esquimalt Advisory Planning Commission recommends that Council approve, approve with conditions, or deny the rezoning application to regulate the proposed development of a 6-storey residential building consistent with the architectural plans provided by Cornerstone Architecture and the landscape plan provided by LADR Landscape Architects, to be located at 1140 & 1148 Esquimalt Road, including reasons for the chosen recommendation.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The applicant is requesting a change in zoning to accommodate the proposed 6-storey, 34-unit residential development.
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:
Applicant: Esquimalt Village Cohousing
Owner: Sharon Arlene Glover
Architect: Cornerstone Architecture
Property Size: Metric: 1474 m2 Imperial: 15869 ft2
OCP Present Land Use Designation: Low Density Residential
OCP Proposed Land Use Designation: Medium Density Residential
Existing Land Use: Two-Family Residential
Proposed Land Use: Multiple Family Residential [6-storey Apartment]
Surrounding Land Uses:
North: Multiple Family Residential [3-storey Apartment]
South: Shopping Centre
East: Multiple Family Residential [4-storey Apartment]
West: Multiple Family Residential [4-storey Apartment]
ANALYSIS:
OCP ANALYSIS:
The proposed development is consistent with the Proposed Land Use Designation of ‘Medium Density Residential’. The proposed development consists of 6-storeys, 34 residential units and a Floor Area Ratio of 2.0.
OCP Section 3.3 Housing and Community identifies the Esquimalt Road corridor as an area for residential densification.
OCP Section 5.1 states a policy to ‘support the development of a variety of housing types and designs to meet the anticipated housing needs of residents. This may include non-market and market housing options that are designed to accommodate young and multi-generational families, the local workforce, as well as middle- and high-income households.’
OCP Section 5.4 Medium and High-Density Residential Development states an objective to support compact, efficient medium-density and high-density residential development that integrates with existing and proposed adjacent uses.
Supporting policies in this section consistent with the proposed development include:
• Encourage new medium-density and high-density residential development with high quality design standards for building and landscaping and which enhance existing neighbourhoods.
• Prioritize medium-density and high-density residential development in proposed land use designated areas that:
1. reduce single occupancy vehicle use;
2. support transit service;
3. are located within proximity to employment centres; and
4. accommodate young families.
• A mix of dwelling unit sizes should be provided in medium density and high-density residential land use designated areas to meet the varying housing needs of Esquimalt residents.
• Encourage the incorporation of spaces designed to foster social interaction.
OCP Section 5.6 Multi-generational Housing states an objective to address the shortage of family and child friendly housing in Esquimalt and enable seniors to age in place.
Supporting policies in this section relevant to the proposed development include:
• Support and facilitate development of multi-generational housing, including in medium- and high-density residential developments.
• Encourage the provision of ground level, family-sized, child appropriate units.
• Encourage child friendly developments that provide appropriate amenities such as outdoor play areas for young children that are well-separated from traffic circulation and parking areas.
• Encourage adaptable design for all dwellings.
• Encourage more universally accessible housing for people with mobility limitations on the ground floor of medium and high-density residential buildings.
Section 11.3.2 New Development states the following policies:
• Encourage bike lockers in multi-unit residential and commercial/commercial mixed-use developments.
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.
• Encourage 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 future developments 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.
• Parking should be located behind buildings or undeground. Above-ground structured parking is discouraged. Wrap any above-ground structured parking with active (residential or commercial) uses to buffer parking from public spaces.
• 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.
• In areas with taller developments, vary building heights to strategically reduce the shading on to adjacent buildings.
• Provide space for significant landscaping including varying heights of trees, shrubs and ground covers. Design retaining wall spacing and landscape planting areas of sufficient width and depth to support plantings.
• 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 and by not allowing underground parking structures to extend beyond building walls.
ZONING ANALYSIS:
Density, Lot Coverage, Height and Setbacks: The following chart lists the floor area ratios, lot coverage, setbacks, height, parking, and usable open space of this proposal. Zoning Bylaw, 1992, No. 2050 does not currently contain a zone that can accommodate this proposed development.
|
|
Proposed Zone |
|
Residential Units |
34 |
|
Floor Area Ratio |
2.0 |
|
Lot Coverage (underground parking level) |
83% |
|
Lot Coverage at or above the First Storey |
60% |
|
Setbacks: |
|
|
Esquimalt Road |
3.5 m |
|
Fernhill Road |
3.8 m |
|
Eastern |
3.3 m |
|
Northern |
3.8 m |
|
Building Height |
21.8 m [6 storeys] |
|
Off Street Parking |
27 spaces |
|
Bicycle Parking |
54 resident spaces |
|
Usable Open Space |
85 m2 (6.4%) |
PARKING ANALYSIS:
Parking:
This proposed development provides 27 spaces for 34 residential units. This provision is consistent with the required amount of 27 spaces as required by the Parking Bylaw.
The applicant is committing to transportation demand management measures in the form of:
• A car share vehicle with a dedicated parking space;
• Car share memberships for all the units;
• 20% of the required long-term bicycle parking spaces designed to accommodate oversized bicycles.
Parking Bylaw, 2025, No. 3089 requires the number of spaces as detailed below:
7 1-Bedroom units x 0.7 = 4.9
22 2-Bedroom x 0.9 = 19.8
5 3-Bedroom units x 0.9 = 4.5
34 x 0.1 visitor parking spaces = 3.4
Loading space = 1
Total required spaces = 33.6
Car share vehicle and dedicated parking space (-5%) = -1.68
Car share memberships for all the units (-10%) = -3.36
20% of all required long-term bicycle parking spaces are designed to accommodate oversized bicycles (-5%) = -1.68
Total required spaces with transportation demand management measures = 27
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 and Site Plan
3. Appendix C: Landscape Plan
4. Appendix D: Green Building Checklist
5. Appendix E: Arborist Assessment
6. Appendix F: Applicant’s Presentation