Staff Report: 94 Talcott Rd – Youth Custody Centre Site Information Report

94 TALCOTT RD – YOUTH CUSTODY CENTRE SITE INFORMATION REPORT

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council receive this report for information.

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER'S COMMENTS

I concur with the recommendation.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES' COMMENTS

I concur with the recommendation.

PURPOSE OF REPORT

The purpose of this report is to present information about the Youth Custody Centre site at 94 Talcott Rd for the purpose of presenting the existing and potential future uses of the site.

BACKGROUND

The Victoria Youth Custody Centre is a 24-bed facility run by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Youth custody services centres are legally designated facilities that house young offenders who have been ordered by the court to serve a period of time in open or secure custody, or for youth who have been detained in custody pending further court appearances. Youth may be held in custody centres for all types of offences, ranging from persistent property offences to serious violent offences.

In May of 2014 the Ministry announced that the facility would be closing, citing the low demand for housing young offenders. They began phasing out the Youth Custody Centre on July 3, 2014, with mid-August the target for discharges or transfers. The Ministry of Children and Family Development expects to save $4.5 million a year as a result of closing the facility.

As per information from the Youth Custody Services page on the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the description for the former use is as follows:

Mission Statement

Youth Custody Services provide a safe, secure, healthy and humane environment with a range of services that respond to the needs of youth, thereby promoting lawful behaviour and contributing to public safety.

Goals

1. To carry out orders of the court.
2. To protect society by providing appropriate supervision and interventions in a safe and supportive environment.
3. To facilitate rehabilitation by providing youth with optimal opportunities for healthy growth and pro-social development through:
   • effective programs that respond to the individual and cultural needs of youth;
   • a youth-focused integrated case management process that provides for comprehensive and dynamic case plans; and
   • implementing strategies that promote successful re-integration to the community.

There are three youth custody services centres in BC:

• Victoria Youth Custody Services
• Burnaby Youth Custody Services
• Prince George Youth Custody Services

All centres are legally designated as places of temporary detention (remand custody) and provide both secure and open custody.

Programs for Youth in Custody

Programs available to youth in custody fall into four categories:

1. Basic Programs address the basic needs of youth. Youth in custody have a right to receive these programs and services in accordance with legislative requirements and/or national and international standards. Examples of basic programs include education, religious, recreational/leisure programs and family visits.
2. Core Programs provide structured, interactive processes for individuals and groups of youth and are designed to directly influence beliefs, attitudes, lifestyles and skill deficits known to contribute to unlawful behavior. Core Programs are led by staff members and/or other professionals. Examples of core programs include substance abuse management, youth violence intervention and life skills.
3. Specialized Programs respond to distinct needs of particular youth or categories of youth. These include services for Aboriginal youth, female youth, violent offenders and youth requiring mental health services or drug and alcohol counselling.
4. Reintegration Programs support a youth's return to the community through the provision of community based services. These programs include Intensive Support and Supervision and community transition beds.

Future Ministry Plans

Staff inquiry to the Minister for Children and Family Development on August 7th met with the following same-day response:

Thank you for your e-mail of August 7, 2014, sent to the Minister of Children and Family Development, regarding potential or planned future uses of the Victoria Youth Custody Centre.

At this point, other alternatives for use of the facility have not been determined. The MCFD will first have to close and vacate the property as a ministry facility. It will then be transferred over to the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services for a broader look at whether or not there is another government use for the facility, or if it would become available outside of government.

Regional Response

Pressure on the Provincial government to reconsider the facility's closing has come from many sources, including private and public agencies, academics and First Nations. The Province has remained adamant about the closure, though at this point it is unclear what it tends to do with short-term detention, remand and sentences. While they had initially indicated that youth will be held in police cells, local police departments have indicated that they are not prepared to hold youth in their jail cells as they are not appropriate for such a use.

SITE INFORMATION

Physically the site is north of and immediately adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway, and approximately 25,500m² (6.3 acres) in size. It is adjacent to Town-owned parkland (zoned P-3) to the north, and to the west there is more provincially-owned property which currently hosts the Victoria Bowmen Archery Club site at 2401 Burnside Rd West. Craigflower Creek flows through both of these adjacent properties and provides a significant constraint to development. The site is close to the Galloping Goose alignment further to the north.

The site is accessed via Talcott Rd to the east. There is only one way in and out of the property.

The site is zoned P-5: Regional Institutional and is designated as CF: Community Facility within the Town's Official Community Plan. The draft Zoning Bylaw's permitted uses are much the same as the existing zone within the Land Use Bylaw, as below. While the Province is not required to meet zoning if they decide to repurpose the property for an alternative use, they have historically been interested in meeting local regulations.

Existing Land Use Bylaw No. 35 Regional Institutional: P-5 Permitted Uses:

• Youth-oriented Correctional Institutions, Reformatories and Rehabilitation Centre, excluding Half-Way Houses.
• Business and Professional offices.
• Technical and vocational schools.
• Residential accommodation, when located within the same building as the institution it serves.
• A Dwelling Unit for caretaker or watchperson, provided that such dwelling unit is located on the same lot as the institution which it serves.

Draft Zoning Bylaw No. 900 Regional Institutional P-4 Permitted Uses:

Principal Uses

• Technical and Vocational Schools
• Youth-oriented Correctional Institutions

Accessory Uses

• Café
• Office
• Restaurant, Full-Service
• Retail Store
• Residential uses for a caretaker or a watchperson

POTENTIAL USES

Given the zoning, site constraints and existing structures on-site, the most logical future use is certainly institutional. The other, less likely option is a small technology-related office building or campus which would require the lease or sale of the property to private industry.

CONCLUSION

Staff will monitor the situation and update Council as necessary based on any new information arising as a result of the facility closure.

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council receive this report for information.

SUBMITTED BY: J. Davison, MCIP RPP, Planner

REVIEWED BY: K. Anema, CAO

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Subject Property Map
2. Subject Property Orthophoto