OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN PROJECT UPDATE
Update on the Official Community Plan (OCP) review process, including project milestones, timeline, and the draft framework for the updated document.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REPORT
TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: January 26, 2026 FROM: Stirling Scory, MCIP, RPP, Senior Planner; Leanne Taylor, MCIP, RPP, Director of Development Services MEETING DATE: February 10, 2026
OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN PROJECT UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report dated January 26, 2026 from the Senior Planner and Director of Development Services titled “Official Community Plan Project Update” be received for information.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to provide the Committee with an update on the Official Community Plan (OCP) on where we have been, the intended path to project completion, and the framework of the first draft of the document.
BACKGROUND:
The OCP update was originally initiated in 2020, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, in accordance with the Town’s 2019 – 2023 Financial Plan. Prior to the 2022 municipal election, a draft OCP was presented to Council; however, the Council at the time passed a motion to pause the OCP project until after the election. On February 23, 2023, staff presented the draft OCP to Council and the following motions were passed:
C-27-23 THAT Council not proceed with the current version of the draft Official Community Plan.
C-28-23 THAT a day-long, facilitated Council workshop be held to review the 2011 Official Community Plan and to consider next steps.
In June and July of 2023, two workshops were held with Council that focussed on what worked well and did not work well in the 2020 – 2022 OCP update process. The Town’s Strategic Plan 2023 - 2026, includes a goal to undertake a review of the OCP to align with the Housing Needs Report and Zoning Bylaw, update Development Permit Area design guidelines, and other aspects of the OCP in 2024 and 2025. In addition to achieving this goal, the review is also revisiting the community’s vision and aspirations, and addresses local and regional needs and challenges associated with housing, transportation, natural environment, parks, infrastructure, economic development, etc.
This OCP review and update began in October 2024. Table 1 below provides an overview of the project timeline and important milestones to date. Since launching the OCP review and update project, staff has presented 19 staff reports to Committee of the Whole, the OCP Review Advisory Committee, and Council for review and feedback on the OCP project, which is summarized in the table below. Also, during this time, there have been six OCP Review Advisory Committee meetings.
Table 1. Project Timeline and Milestones
| Date | Project Milestones |
|---|---|
| Committee of the Whole – October 8, 2024 | Staff presented the proposed project scope for the OCP review and update and the draft Communications and Engagement Strategy for the project. The project scope and strategy were revised in response to Committee feedback. |
| Council - December 3, 2024 | Council Awarded the OCP contract to Urban Systems Limited |
| OCP Review Advisory Committee – January 13, 2025 | Staff presented the Terms of Reference, Phase 1 Project Overview and draft Community Vision and Guiding Principles Survey for review and feedback. |
| Council – January 21, 2025 | Staff presented a draft vision and guiding principles survey following feedback from the OCP Review Advisory Committee. Council’s feedback was also incorporated in the final survey. |
| January 2025 | Project Launch – Raise awareness, educate, and inform the public in how they could get involved in the process |
| January 24 – February 18, 2025 | Engagement on OCP vision and guiding principles |
| Council - February 4, 2025 | Staff presented the project scope for the OCP Mixed-use and Mixed Employment Analysis project scope to Council for feedback prior to consultants embarking on analyses. |
| Committee of the Whole – February 11, 2025 | Staff presented the project scope for the OCP Mixed-use and Mixed Employment Analysis for feedback prior to consultants embarking on analyses for the OCP. |
| OCP Review Advisory Committee – February 24, 2025 | The Committee reviewed and provided feedback on a draft land use and housing survey (i.e., Community Growth Survey). |
| Council – March 4, 2025 | Staff presented the draft Community Growth Survey and Engagement Plan for Council’s review and feedback. |
| March 6, 2025 | Business Mixer and Consultation |
| March 7 – April 4, 2025 | Engagement on community growth framework |
| Council – April 1, 2025 | Staff presented the What We Heard reports on the Vision and Guiding Principles Survey, and the Business Mixer Workshop. |
| OCP Review Advisory Committee – May 5, 2025 | Staff presented the What We Heard reports on the Vision and Guiding Principles Survey, Community Growth Survey, and the Business Mixer Workshop. Staff also presented on the Housing Capacity Analysis and Land Use Scenario Memos and provided an update on the next round of engagement. |
| Council – May 13, 2025 | • Staff presented a draft vision statement and goals to reflect what we heard during engagement for Council’s review and consideration. Council provided comments to inform a subsequent survey with three draft vision statements and eleven draft goals. • Staff presented a What We Heard Report on the Community Growth Survey, and comments from the open houses and workshops. • Staff presented a report on a proposed third round of engagement scheduled to take place between May 16 and June 8, 2025. Council had the opportunity to provide feedback on engagement methods and activities. • Staff presented the Land Economics Study Update and Housing Capacity Analysis and three proposed Land Use Scenarios. The three land use scenarios for consultation with the public. |
| OCP Review Advisory Committee – June 2, 2025 | • Staff presented on the OCP Phase 1 process update and the draft Vision and Land Use Survey. |
| Committee of the Whole – June 10, 2025 | • Staff presented the draft Vision and Land Use Survey for Committee review and feedback. • Staff also presented a Phase 1 Process Update report. The Committee recommended changes to project scope related to OCP land use designations by only considering amendments to the OCP land use designations for Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) properties, properties within the Hospital Transit Oriented Area, and properties along the Western Gateway Corridor. It was also recommended to remove reference to Town Centre in the OCP. No other proposed changes to existing land use designations in the 2011 OCP would be considered. |
| Committee of the Whole – July 8, 2025 | • Following changes to project scope, staff presented a report requesting an adjustment to the project budget by allocating some of the 2026 budget to 2025 to allow staff and consultants to begin work on Phase 2 of the OCP project in 2025 that was planned for 2026. • Staff presented a report on a Council motion to implement a requirement for commercial space or public use space in any new developments above four-storey. |
| Council – July 15, 2025 | Staff presented the draft vision survey to seek feedback from Council prior to launching the survey. |
| July 18 – September 7, 2025 | Engagement of three draft vision statements and eleven draft goals |
| OCP Review Advisory Committee – August 25, 2025 | Staff provided an update on the project scope and timeline. Staff also presented the draft Western Gateway Corridor Survey for the Committee’s review and feedback. |
| Committee of the Whole – September 9, 2025 | • Staff presented the draft Western Gateway Corridor Survey for Committee review and feedback. • Staff also presented the proposed amendments to the OCP to align the OCP with the Interim Housing Needs Report and Zoning Bylaw (i.e., SSMUH zoning and Transit Oriented Area schedule). |
| Council - October 7, 2025 | Staff presented a report on the proposed amendments to the OCP to align the OCP with the Interim Housing Needs Report and Zoning Bylaw (i.e., SSMUH zoning and Transit-Oriented Area schedule) prior to first and second reading. |
| October 10 to November 7, 2025 | Engagement on the Western Gateway Corridor |
| OCP Review Advisory Committee – November 3, 2025 | Staff presented on the draft Objectives and Policies Review Survey based on the 50% draft for Committee’s review and feedback. Staff also provided the Committee with an update on next steps in the project. |
| First Public Hearing – November 4, 2025 | First public hearing on the proposed OCP bylaw amendments (Bylaw No. 1156) to align OCP with the Interim Housing Needs Report and Zoning Bylaw. |
| Council – November 4, 2025 | Following the Public Hearing, staff presented a report on the proposed OCP bylaw amendments (Bylaw No. 1156) prior to third reading of the bylaw. Third reading was not given at this Council meeting, and further amendments were requested by Council. |
| Council – November 18, 2025 | As per Council’s motion, staff presented a report to rescind second reading of Bylaw No. 1156 and give a new second reading to an amended Bylaw 1156 and set a new public hearing date for December 2, 2025. |
| Second Public Hearing – December 2, 2025 | Second public hearing on the proposed OCP bylaw amendments (Bylaw No. 1156) to align OCP with the Interim Housing Needs Report and Zoning Bylaw. |
| Council – December 2, 2025 | Council gave third reading and adoption on Bylaw No. 1156. |
| November 8 to November 30, 2025 | Engagement on OCP policies |
| Committee of the Whole – January 13, 2026 | Staff presented What We Heard Reports on the Vision Survey, Western Gateway Community Corridor Survey, workshops and open houses, and the Policy Review Survey and open houses. |
| December 2025 – February 2026 | Consultants and staff are working on the first draft of the OCP following substantial engagement with Council, the OCP Review Advisory Committee and the public. |
ANALYSIS:
Since launching the OCP project, the anticipated project completion date is September 2026. There are several master plans (i.e., Transportation Master Plan, Parks and Trails Master Plan, and the Drainage Master Plan) that need to be updated and are contingent upon the adoption of a new OCP in 2026. Furthermore, staff would like to begin work on updating the development permit areas and design guidelines, phase 3 of the OCP review and update.
Staff prepared an OCP timeline below (refer to Attachment 1), to meet the desired OCP completion date for the Committee’s consideration. Even though the OCP timeline is achievable, the Committee may wish to note that there are some compressed timelines over the next six months to complete the project.
OCP TIMELINE
To ensure that the Committee is fully informed when receiving the first draft of the OCP, staff prepared the following draft OCP framework (refer to Attachment 2), which would inform the table of contents of the OCP document. This framework also builds upon the project scope that Council approved in October 2024 and revised in June 2025.
Official Community Plan Framework
Staff welcome any feedback from the Committee on the OCP timeline and framework. Given that this is a critical time for the project, any significant changes to timeline and framework may result in further delays to the delivery of the project.
Impacts and implications can be summarized as follows:
Community Impact: The OCP contains a series of goals, objectives, policies and implementing actions that guide the way View Royal will grow and change over time. It also establishes priorities for decision-making. This OCP review and update will reflect community demographics and needs, and guide sustainable growth over the next decades.
Financial Implication: Council approved a budget of $224,953.00 to complete the project.
Inter-governmental Relations Impact: Staff are engaging with the Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations, other government agencies and organizations, and neighbouring municipalities.
ALIGNMENT:
The recommended option aligns with the Town’s following core guiding documents as follows:
Strategic Plan: Strategic Priority B: Sustainable Development
- Goal 1 Managed Growth
- 1(a): 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.
- Goal 2 Business Retention/Attraction
- 2(b): Hold a visioning session for the employment corridor (“Western Gateway”).
Official Community Plan: The Town is authorized and mandated to create an OCP through legislation contained in the LGA. The OCP provides guidance about the future use of land and municipal services. As circumstances warrant, the Town Council may amend the Plan.
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:
This report is time critical due to the current timeline to complete the project.
| CONCURRENCE: | Initials | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Administrative Officer | SS | I concur with the recommendation. |
| REVIEWED BY: | Initials |
|---|---|
| Director of Corporate Administration | N/A |
| Director of Finance & Technology | N/A |
| Director of Development Services | LT |
| Director of Engineering | N/A |
| Director of Protective Services | N/A |
ATTACHMENT:
- Official Community Plan Timeline
- Committee of the Whole Report dated October 8, 2024.
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