OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN REVIEW: WHAT WE HEARD REPORT #5 – POLICY REVIEW ENGAGEMENT (Staff Report)
A staff report presenting the findings from the fifth engagement touchpoint, which allowed residents to provide feedback on nine draft policy chapters of the OCP.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REPORT
TO: Committee of the Whole FROM: Stirling Scory, RPP, MCIP Senior Planner DATE: December 16, 2025 MEETING DATE: January 13, 2026
OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN REVIEW: WHAT WE HEARD REPORT #5 – POLICY REVIEW ENGAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated December 16, 2025 from the Senior Planner titled “Official Community Plan Review: What We Heard Report #5 – Policy Review Engagement” be received for information.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to present the Committee with a summary of “What We Heard” from the Policy Review survey that launched on November 8, 2025, and closed on November 30, 2025.
BACKGROUND:
On November 8, 2025, the Town launched its Policy Review survey, which invited respondents to share feedback on nine policy chapters in the draft Official Community Plan (OCP). Questions focused on the nine draft objective statements of each policy chapter, as well as a selection of draft policies. Not all policies that will be included in the first draft of the OCP were included in the survey due to the number of policies. Instead, the project team selected key new policy directions being considered for the first draft. A total of 125 questions were included in the Policy Review survey, and respondents had the option of selecting which policy chapters they wanted to review and provide feedback on. The majority (79%) of respondents wanted to review all chapters. A total of 43 survey responses were received.
The feedback received will be used to refine the draft objectives and policies shared in the survey, along with the remaining draft policies in the draft OCP that were not shown.
To support participation and raise awareness through this fifth engagement touchpoint, the project team used both digital and print media to inform the community of opportunities to get involved. A list of the methods is included below:
- View Royal 2050 webpage (engage.viewroyal.ca/view-royal-2050);
- Town’s official website (viewroyal.ca);
- Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky);
- Inside View Royal e-newsletter;
- Engage View Royal subscriber campaigns;
- Posters;
- Project ‘business cards’;
- Newspaper ad; and
- Stakeholder emails.
ANALYSIS:
A comprehensive analysis of the Policy Review survey is available for review in the attached What We Heard Report #5 – Policy Review Engagement (see Attachment 1). A summary of the major themes and findings of that report are provided below.
Who Participated
- 98% of respondents are residents of View Royal
- The majority (28%) of respondents live within in the Harbour neighbourhood
- 17% of respondents are between the ages of 70 and 74
- 69% of respondents indicated they found out about the Policy Review Survey engagement process through the Town’s website and social media
- 32% of respondents indicated that this was their first time participating in the View Royal 2050: Our Future View OCP review and update
Survey Results
Survey Results – Major Themes
- 79% of all respondents indicated that they wanted to provide feedback on all nine policy chapters of the draft OCP.
- While respondents didn’t provide feedback on all chapters, the most popular chapter (16%) that respondents wanted to provide feedback on was Park, Trails, and Recreation.
- While respondents didn’t provide feedback on all chapters, the least popular chapter (5%) that respondents wanted to provide feedback on was Economic Development.
Survey Results – Objectives
- 42% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Land Use & Urban Design objective summary.
- 62% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Transportation and Mobility objective summary.
- 47% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Climate Action & Sustainability objective summary.
- 54% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Community Wellbeing & Culture objective summary.
- 57% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Economic Development objective summary.
- 58% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Housing objective summary.
- 75% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Parks, Trails, & Recreation objective summary.
- 79% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Natural Environment objective summary.
- 73% of respondents supported the overall direction of the draft Infrastructure objective summary.
Survey Results – Policies
The majority of respondents indicate that they support the draft policies overall. However, there are some policies that respondents provided mixed feedback on, indicating that further review and revisions should be considered. The project team flagged any draft policy that received equal to or more than 20% “No Support”.
| Draft Policy | % Did Not Support |
|---|---|
| Transportation & Mobility Establish progressive walking, cycling, public transit and private vehicle targets, to develop affordable and equitable transportation options and reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. (Question 15) |
Support: 47% No Support: 21% Limited Support: 13% |
| Transportation & Mobility Eliminate barriers to active transportation by increasing cycling and pedestrian routes, improving key intersections and providing a variety of end-of-trip facilities (i.e., showers, lockers, secure bicycle parking) in developments. (Question 21) |
Support: 49% No Support: 22% Limited Support: 14% |
| Transportation & Mobility Explore opportunities to implement parking maximums in certain areas of the Town as part of a future update to the Zoning Bylaw to reduce parking oversupply, encourage transit use and cycling, and improve housing affordability. (Question 29) |
Support: 27% No Support: 24% Limited Support: 24% |
| Economic Development Provide incentives and tools to support hotel development in View Royal. (Question 61) |
Support: 23% No Support: 31% Limited Support: 26% |
| Housing Facilitate an increase in housing by expediting development approvals and permits by delegating certain authority from Council to staff, such as issuing development permits and minor variances, as under the Local Government Act. (Question 67) |
Support: 37% No Support: 24% Limited Support: 24% |
| Housing Exempt residential development where four units or less are proposed from form and character development permit areas to incentivize the construction of ground-oriented housing forms. (Question 73) |
Support: 29% No Support: 21% Limited Support: 13% |
Impacts and implications can be summarized as follows:
- Community Impact: Engagement during the OCP review and update provides an opportunity for the public to be involved in a critical decision-making process.
- Financial Implication: The Policy Review survey is within the project scope and budget approved by Council.
- Inter-governmental Relations Impact: The Town will notify neighbouring municipalities and the required provincial ministries of the OCP update as the project advances.
ALIGNMENT:
The recommended option aligns with the Town’s following core guiding documents as follows:
Strategic Plan:
- Sustainable Development
- Goal 1: Managed Growth
- Official Community Plan (OCP) review to align with Housing Needs Report and Zoning Bylaw, update Development Permit Area design guidelines, and other aspects of the OCP
- Community Engagement and Good Governance
- Goal 1: Strong and active citizen participation in community engagement in Town of View Royal meetings, open houses, surveys, budget development.
Official Community Plan:
- Goal 2: Create an inclusive community that provides housing, transportation and healthy living options, and services and facilities for families and individuals of diverse backgrounds, cultures, ages and economic means.
- Goal 9: Ensure that all citizens of View Royal have opportunities to be informed and meaningfully involved in planning and decision-making processes.
Other Policy Documents: N/A
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL:
The desired level of public participation for the recommended option is:
[X] Inform [ ] Consult [ ] Involve [ ] Collaborate [ ] Empower [ ] N/A
TIME CRITICAL:
The project team has provided the feedback to the project consultant, Urban Systems, to inform the first draft of the OCP. Further opportunity to review and provide feedback on the draft objective statements and all policies will occur in the spring of 2026.
| CONCURRENCE: | Initials | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Administrative Officer | SS | I concur with the recommendation. |
| REVIEWED BY: | Initials |
|---|---|
| Director of Corporate Administration/Deputy CAO | N/A |
| Director of Finance & Technology | N/A |
| Director of Development Services | LT |
| Director of Engineering | N/A |
| Director of Protective Services | N/A |
ATTACHMENTS:
- What We Heard Report #5 – Policy Review
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