Other Planning Issues
The Douglas Corridor, identified as a major centre in the RGS, presents huge opportunities
for re-
The Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) is a critical document for sustainability. At best, however, it can only establish a framework or “skeleton” for our future region. Within the confines of this framework, a great deal of additional planning remains to be completed.
Firstly, planning must be done for new, denser, “complete communities” central to the RGS vision. The RGS proposes major centres with 5 of the 8 identified lying either entirely or partially within Saanich. In the end, we may move to more of a “corridor model” instead of the centres envisioned. But, that doesn’t really change anything. With either model, we have a pressing need to get on with long range, visionary planning. Nothing stands still and projects are coming forward that are often incompatible with the basic RGS vision. Without swift action, the promise and opportunity before us will be lost for a generation or more. That’s simply unacceptable!
Local area plans and neighbourhood plans constitute a second area where we need to “get on with things”. Some areas may contain or border a major centre or corridor. For these areas, defining an acceptable transition from new denser areas to existing neighbourhoods is critical. Other areas may contain “village centres” where some degree of densification is expected to occur. These villages also need to be properly planned and, again, the issue of transition is important.
Another problem bedeviling single family neighbourhoods is their own internal process of renewal. Many existing single family neighbourhoods are considerably underbuilt compared to what zoning would permit. These neighbourhoods have a character, and often a charm, which residents have come to cherish. Over time, they will, of course, change but we must control that change to avoid “jarring and unfortunate” results. The current zoning bylaw was primarily intended to govern subdivision of large tracts of raw land. It’s simply not up to the task of controlling the delicate process of infill and renewal.
Finally, we must insure that all our planning seeks to address the very significant global issues we face. We will not, of course, solve them by ourselves, but, our contribution is important. If every community took the attitude that it couldn’t solve world issues by itself nothing would get done. That’s hardly acceptable.
A common saying in the planning world: “Fail to Plan and Plan to Fail” pretty well sums things up. We have a big, important task in front of us. Let’s get on with it.
Top of Page
