MINUTES OF A COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2025
Official minutes recording the proceedings and decisions made during the View Royal Council meeting on October 21, 2025.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL
MINUTES OF A COUNCIL MEETING
HELD ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2025 VIEW ROYAL MUNICIPAL OFFICE – COUNCIL CHAMBERS
PRESENT WERE:
- Mayor Tobias
- Councillor Brown
- Councillor Kowalewich
- Councillor Lemon
- Councillor MacKenzie
- Councillor Rogers
REGRETS:
- Councillor Mattson
PRESENT ALSO:
- S. Sommerville, Chief Administrative Officer
- E. Bolster, Director of Corporate Administration
- I. Leung, Director of Engineering
- S. Vella, Director of Finance
- L. Taylor, Director of Development Services
- J. Chow, Senior Planner
- L. Curtis, Community Planner
- J. Cochrane, Deputy Director of Corporate Administration
- 12 members of the public
- 0 members of the press
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Tobias called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.
The Mayor acknowledged that the meeting is being held on the traditional territory of the Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation.
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the agenda be amended to include items 9. c) and 10. h) and move item 10. e) to item 11. a);
AND THAT the agenda be approved as amended. CARRIED
3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PERIOD
a) D. Wilson, View Royal Avenue, discussed Development Variance Permit 2025-02 for 157 View Royal Avenue.
4. BYLAWS
a) Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 958, 2016, Amendment Bylaw No. 1158, 2025 A Bylaw to Amend the Town of View Royal Sanitary Sewer Rates in Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 958, 2016
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor MacKenzie
THAT Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 958, 2016, Amendment Bylaw No. 1158, 2025 be adopted. CARRIED
5. MAYOR’S REPORT
6. PETITIONS & DELEGATIONS
7. STAFF REPORTS
a) Development Variance Permit 2025-02 - 157 View Royal Avenue
- Report dated September 25, 2025 from the Senior Planner
The Senior Planner gave a summary of the report to Council.
Council and staff discussed the proposed floor area of the accessory building, existing accessory buildings, lot size, and trees.
MOVED BY: Councillor MacKenzie SECONDED: Councillor Lemon
C-156-25 THAT Development Variance Permit No. 2025-02 for 157 View Royal Avenue be issued, in accordance with plans submitted to the Development Services Department on August 11, 2025, subject to the development meeting all of Town’s Zoning Bylaw requirements, except for the following variances:
- increase the maximum coverage of accessory buildings and structures from 60m² to 190.1m²; and
- increase the maximum building floor area from 727m² to 917.1m². CARRIED
b) Development Permit 2025-07 - 9 Erskine Lane
- Report dated October 15, 2025 from the Community Planner
The Community Planner gave a review of the report to Council.
Council and staff discussed retaining walls, garbage and recycling enclosures, and alternative ways to address minor variances.
MOVED BY: Councillor Brown SECONDED: Councillor Lemon
C-157-25 THAT Development Permit with Variances (DPV) Application No. 2025-07 for 9 Erskine Lane be issued in accordance with plans submitted to the Development Services Department dated September 12, 2025, subject to the development meeting all of the Town’s Zoning Bylaw regulations, except for the following variances: i. increase the height of Building C retaining wall from 1.2m to 4.0m; ii. increase the height of Building D retaining wall from 1.2m to 2.1m; iii. decrease the minimum horizontal separation ratio for reinforced retaining walls from 1:1 to 2:0.70 ratio for Building C retaining wall; iv. increase the length of a structure (garbage and recycling enclosure) for Building A-B from 7.5m to 8.8m; and v. increase the length of a structure (garbage and recycling enclosure) for Building C-D from 7.5m to 7.55m. CARRIED
8. BUSINESS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES
9. CORRESPONDENCE
a) Email dated October 7, 2025 from R. Isaac, Re: URGENT: Elbows Up For Climate!
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated October 7, 2025 from R. Isaac, Re: URGENT: Elbows Up For Climate be received. CARRIED
b) Email dated October 14, 2025 from N. Ottosen, Re: Backpack Project Christmas Campaign
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-158-25 THAT Council support the Backpack Project by allowing a donation box and poster in the Town Hall foyer from November 1, 2025 to December 19, 2025. CARRIED
c) Letter dated October 16, 2025 from Councillor C. Ramsay, President, UBCM, Re: Heritage Conservation Act Consultation
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the letter dated October 16, 2025 from Councillor C. Ramsay, President, UBCM, Re: Heritage Conservation Act Consultation be received. CARRIED
10. CONSENT AGENDA
a) Email dated October 5, 2025 from D. Coleman, Re: Developer Request Re: 258 Helmcken Road
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated October 5, 2025 from D. Coleman, Re: Developer Request Re: 258 Helmcken Road be received. CARRIED
b) Email dated October 7, 2025 from E. Szostak, Re: Re-zoning of 258 Helmcken Road, View Royal
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated October 7, 2025 from E. Szostak, Re: Re-zoning of 258 Helmcken Road, View Royal be received. CARRIED
c) Email dated October 9, 2025 from D. Ridout, Re: Old Island Highway Shut Down with No Notice
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated October 9, 2025 from D. Ridout, Re: Old Island Highway Shut Down with No Notice be received. CARRIED
d) Email dated October 10, 2025 from L. Edgar, Re: Traffic Issues Along Burnside
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated October 10, 2025 from L. Edgar, Re: Traffic Issues Along Burnside be received. CARRIED
e) Minutes of the Council meeting held October 7, 2025 (moved to item 11. a))
f) Minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society held September 11, 2025
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society held September 11, 2025 be received. CARRIED
g) From the October 14, 2025 Committee of the Whole meeting:
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-159-25 THAT Council, after giving notice, consider the following motion:
THAT Council authorize the issuance of Development Variance Permit (DVP) No. 2025-03 for 1449 (1301-1305) Burnside Road W in accordance with plans submitted to the Development Services Department on August 29, 2025, subject to the development meeting all of the Town’s Sign Bylaw regulations, except for the following variances: i. variance to Section 6.2.b) to increase the maximum number of freestanding signs within the Attached Residential Sign District from 0 to 3 in association with the apartment residential use of the property; ii. variance to Section 6.2 to increase the maximum sign area from 0.3m² to 1.7m² for Sign 3 within the Attached Residential Sign District; iii. variance to Section 6.7.a) to permit unilluminated wall signs within the Attached Residential Sign District with a maximum area of 0.21 m² in association with the apartment residential use of the property for Sign 4C; and iv. variance to Section 6.7.a) to permit unilluminated wall signs within the Attached Residential Sign District with a maximum area of 0.88m² in association with the apartment residential use of the property for Sign 4D. CARRIED
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-160-25 THAT Capital Projects N-064 (Helmcken Centennial Park Master Plan) be tabled to the 2026 budget deliberations. CARRIED
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-161-25 THAT Capital Project N-087 (Little Road Park Plan) be tabled to the 2026 budget deliberations. CARRIED
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-162-25 THAT Capital Project C-017 (View Royal Ave Drainage (Beaumont to Stewart and Beaumont to Plowright)) be tabled to the 2026 budget deliberations. CARRIED
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-163-25 THAT Capital Project C-129 (North Burnside Drainage Improvements) be tabled to the 2026 budget deliberations. CARRIED
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-164-25 THAT Capital Project C-032 (Playground Replacement Program) be amended to defer Chalmers Park to 2027. CARRIED
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-165-25 THAT Capital Project C-035 (View Royal Park Development) be tabled to the 2026 budget deliberations. CARRIED
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
C-166-25 THAT the Mayor write to the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs to inform that the Town of View Royal will not comply with Bill 25-2025 - Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 due to safety concerns;
AND THAT the letter also include an invitation to the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs for a personal tour of View Royal. CARRIED
h) Email dated October 20, 2025 from S. Pugh, District Vice President, Scotiabank, Re: Scotiabank, Nelson Square
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the email dated October 20, 2025 from S. Pugh, District Vice President, Scotiabank, Re: Scotiabank, Nelson Square be received. CARRIED
11. CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA
a) Minutes of the Council meeting held October 7, 2025
MOVED BY: Councillor Rogers SECONDED: Councillor Brown
THAT the minutes of the Council meeting held October 7, 2025 be adopted. CARRIED
12. NEW BUSINESS
13. QUESTION PERIOD
14. MOTIONS & NOTICES OF MOTION
a) Remove Shared and Bi-Directional Bike Lanes - Councillor Rogers
C-167-25 THAT the following motion come forward to the November 4, 2025 Council meeting:
“THAT all recommendations for the creation of shared paths (cycling, pedestrians, etc.) and bi-directional bike/cycling lanes be removed and revised from the received Active Transportation Network Plan and any and all capital projects (2025 and onwards).”
15. CLOSED MEETING RESOLUTION
16. RISING REPORT
17. ADJOURNMENT
MOVED BY: Councillor Brown SECONDED: Councillor Rogers
THAT this meeting now adjourn. Time: 7:03 p.m. CARRIED
MAYOR CORPORATE OFFICER
Document Images
(1)