TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: October 21, 2024 Report No. DEV-24-052
TO: Committee of the Whole
FROM: Bill Brown, Director of Development Services
SUBJECT: Review Options for the Official Community Plan
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Committee of the Whole recommends to Council that staff be directed to initiate Official Community Plan Review Options 1, 2, and 3 (as outlined in staff report DEV-24-052) in 2025.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
At the September 23, 2024, Committee of the Whole discussion about Council Priorities Mid-Year Refresh, staff was directed to schedule an additional opportunity for Council to discuss potential changes to the Official Community Plan (OCP). Based on recent changes to Provincial legislation, the Township has a statutory obligation to amend its Official Community Plan by December 31, 2025, to incorporate any 5-year and 20-year housing needs identified in an updated Housing Needs Report. This updated Housing Needs Report needs to be prepared and accepted by Council before December 31, 2024. In addition to the statutory requirements, there are other amendments that the Committee of the Whole may wish Council to consider as part of the Official Community Plan statutory update. These include:
- Incorporating any "recalibration" amendments that staff was working on but were deferred by Council to a Future Projects list in the Council Priorities Plan.
- Introduce and adopt a policy related to 12-storey height limits in the Commercial/Commercial Mixed-Use section of the Official Community Plan.
- Doing a comprehensive review of the Official Community Plan including a new vision for Esquimalt Road.
Each of these packages of amendments have different timelines and require different resources as outlined in the staff report. With the exception of the statutory obligation related to the Housing Needs Reports, none of the additional projects or initiatives are required. They are included for Cou...
Click here for full text