Regarding the Oak Bay homeowners facing a $300,000 cost to subdivide their lot, these unfortunate residents happen to live in the wrong jurisdiction. Had they been in Victoria, the likelihood of city planning staff, the mayor, and a number of councillors “rubber stamping” the subdivision plan would have been virtually 100 per cent.
Look what just got approved next door to our home in Oaklands. A small lot has actually been approved and a two-storey, 1,500-square-foot house is going up. Policy was breached, planning staff happily advised the “applicant” (who represented a numbered company), and the mayor and several council cohorts facilitated special treatment at a council meeting so they could reverse the previous committee of the whole decision against the proposal. Finally, the newest Councillor Stephen Andrew, who had none of the prior history, did not make any effort to consult the constituents and neighbours that voted for him and promptly supported the application to subdivide.
So, anything can happen in Victoria it seems. Good for Oak Bay to be more rigorous and stick to their process.
Bill Moffatt
Victoria
