To read a comment that, 'The time of single-family homes being a dominant form of housing is over' is disturbing. Surely this is disrespectful to the many owners of single-family houses or townhouses who have worked hard all their lives to achieve this aim? The unique character of many neighbourhoods in Saanich is being eroded by inappropriate development. Neighbourhoods foster a community spirit as they are ground-oriented; this allows interaction and socializing between neighbours who look out for each other. This should be respected.
According to the official community plan (OCP), townhouses and house-plexes only, up to 3 storeys in neighbourhoods, can be supported. This would be fine. Why then is the majority of council already approving amendments to the OCP to allow more storeys, despite the OCP having only been updated this May? Is this not irresponsible, as it caters solely to the persuasive powers of the developer for increased profit? Sadly, legitimate concerns of the neighbours regarding a project are mostly disregarded.
Apart from a few very welcome non-profit housing projects, virtually all other development projects have been at market rates. Why wouldn’t council request a proforma from developers which indicates the viability of a development (size/number of units) and the expected sale value of the properties?
Significant portions of Canada's residential properties are held in real estate investment trusts (REITs). These allow investors to pool real estate holdings into tradable securities. Investors are offered high returns. Perhaps council should ask developers which projects are funded by REITs, involving costly borrowing, where the higher costs are passed on.
Already this year, council has approved over 1,400 units with development permits. This is in addition to approximately 2,000 units previously approved, of which some are waiting for procedural clearance from staff, or under various stages of construction. Beyond this figure, there are over 2,200 units in 'active planning'.
So why is everyone saying we need more housing? Do we have infrastructure to accommodate all this? I think not.
Fiona Millard
Saanich
