REQUEST FOR DECISION
MEETING DATE: September 10, 2025 Report No. DRC-25-013
TO: Design Review Committee
FROM: Alex Tang, Planner and Bill Brown, Director of Development Services
SUBJECT: Rezoning Application - 1048 Craigflower Road
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Esquimalt Design Review Committee recommends that Council approve 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 5.1 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.
OCP Section 5.2 Low Density Residential Development states an objective to strive for redevelopment and infill development that improves and enhances the appearance and livability of neighbourhoods and the community as a whole.
Supporting policies in this section consistent with the proposed development include:
• Proposed redevelopment or infill within present low density residential land use designated areas should be built to high quality design and landscaping standards and respond sensitively to existing neighbourhood amenities.
Section 5.4 Affordable Housing states an objective to encourage a range of housing by type, tenure and price so that people of all ages, household types, abilities and incomes have a diversity of housing choice in Esquimalt.
Supporting policies in this section relevant with the proposed development include:
• Consider bonus density, parking relaxations or other development variances where a development proposal includes affordable, special needs or seniors housing. This may apply to market and non-market housing, and mixed-use proposals. A housing agreement may be entered into between the Township and the owner.
• Encourage the provision of missing middle housing types such as two-unit dwelling (duplexes), townhouses and small lot infill as one avenue to address housing affordability.
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 passive, efficient, and renewable energy systems in new buildings and during building retrofits.
• Investigate options for encouraging developers to achieve 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 as an amenity associated with rezoning.
Under Section 13.3.6 Passenger Vehicle Alternatives, the following policies are listed:
• Encourage the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in all new multi-unit developments.
• 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:
• 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.
• The size and siting of buildings that abut existing single- and two-unit and townhouse dwelling should reflect the size and scale of adjacent development and complement the surround uses. To achieve this, height and setback restrictions may be imposed as a condition of the development permit.
• 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 usable 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:
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 Design Review Committee recommends to Council that the rezoning application be approved including reason for this recommendation.
2. That the Design Review Committee recommends to Council that the rezoning application be approved subject to conditions, including reason for this recommendation.
3. That the Design Review Committee 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