TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: September 21, 2026 Report No. ADM-26-043
TO: Council
FROM: Deb Hopkins, Director of Corporate Services
SUBJECT: Establishment of Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing Administrative Advisory Group
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council:
Rescind the resolution from the July 20, 2026 Council meeting “That Council direct staff to begin preparations to establish a select committee following the October 2026 municipal election, to work through the technical, legal, and financial details behind targeted bylaw amendments; and that the newly struck committee establish reporting deadlines”; and
Direct staff to establish a Small-Scale Multi-unit Housing Administrative Advisory Group that reports to the Director of Development Services to work through the technical, legal, and financial details behind related Zoning Bylaw and policy amendments, and that the Director, in collaboration with the Administrative Advisory Group, establish reporting deadlines.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Following a detailed review of the July 20, 2026 Council resolution, staff have identified several legal risks associated with implementing the select committee model as directed. The Administrative Advisory Group structure proposed in this report as an alternate solution achieves the same substantive goals of gathering expert community input to shape Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) developments in Esquimalt through Zoning Bylaw and related policy amendments while protecting Council's integrity and the Township's legal standing.
BACKGROUND:
In June 2024, Council adopted amendments to the Zoning Bylaw to allow for Small-Scale Multi-unit Housing (SSMUH) developments in the Township of Esquimalt in accordance with changes to provincial legislation. In April 2026, recognizing that implementation would require ongoing community input, Council directed staff to engage a consultant to conduct structured public engagement on how SSMUH de...
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