Bylaw No. 1024: A Bylaw to Amend the Town of View Royal Official Community Plan with Respect to the Regional Context Statement

SCHEDULE 1. REGIONAL CONTEXT STATEMENT

The first Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) was adopted by the Capital Regional District in August 2003 and was succeeded by a new RGS in 2018. The Town’s Official Community Plan (OCP) was adopted in 2011 and is the third OCP since incorporation in 1988. The OCP is consistent with the current RGS through goals, objectives and policies that guide long-term growth and change in a healthy and sustainable manner as follows:

Vision

The RGS vision and objectives are for a vital economy, livable communities, environmental stewardship, management of natural resources with care, and collective action on climate change. The OCP’s Community Vision Statement and the nine goals are consistent with this vision, in particular the following goals:

• A diversified and strong economy
• 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
• An environmentally responsible community committed to becoming a more sustainable place and planning for global climate change

Population Projection

Based on 2011 Census figures, the RGS projects that View Royal will have a population of 15,000 by 2038. This represents an increase of 5400 residents. Between 2011 and 2016 View Royal’s population increased by 9.5% to 10,408. The 2038 target could be achievable if the trend of 160-200 additional residents per year continues. RGS Review Measure I-6 states that the next update to the 2018 RGS will include updated projections using the most recent census data.

Managing and Balancing Growth

Keep Urban Settlement Compact

The OCP has established an Urban Growth Boundary (see Schedule K) that is consistent with the Urban Containment Boundary shown on RGS Map 3(a) (Growth Management Concept Plan). Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the OCP contains a range of policy tools that direct growth and servicing to appropriate locations within the RGS Urban Containment Boundary. The OCP explicitly directs new growth into higher density mixed-use centres and as infill in existing neighbourhoods. Auto-dependent suburban growth patterns and outward expansion of non-rural uses beyond the Urban Growth Boundary are not supported in the OCP.

Protect the Integrity of Rural Communities

View Royal plays a part in the regional management of urban sprawl as a considerable area of privately held rural land (mostly in the Thetis Planning Area) is separated from the Town’s urban area by the RGS Urban Containment Boundary. The OCP is consistent with RGS Objective 1.2 to protect the integrity of rural communities through policies such as Policy LU12.2 to ensure that the rural character of this area is maintained through low residential densities, limited uses and open space conservation and Policy LU12.2 to focus growth within the Urban Growth Boundary.

Many environment-related policies are also consistent with RGS objectives for the integrity of rural areas. For example, OCP policies require buffering to protect not only natural habitat area, but also adjacent land within the RGS Renewable Resource Lands Policy Area located in neighbouring municipalities.

Environment and Infrastructure

Protect, Conserve and Manage Ecosystem Health

Thetis Lake Regional Park and Mill Hill Regional Park are regionally significant parks. The OCP land use designation of these parks and other major parks is Parks, Open Spaces and Recreation. The designation and the OCP policies to support the long-term protection of these parks are consistent with the RGS Capital Green Lands concept.

Policies for trails in View Royal are found in Part 1 of the OCP. The policies support the preservation of existing parks, trails and conservation areas, and the acquisition of additional dedicated greenspace. The policies also support the expansion of the both local and regional trail networks.

The OCP includes development permit area guidelines for the protection of the natural watercourse/shoreline areas and sensitive terrestrial ecosystems. These development permit areas are a key tool for protecting the ecosystem and is consistent with RGS Objective 2.1.

Manage Regional Infrastructure Services Sustainably

The OCP is consistent with RGS Objective 2.2 for the management of regional infrastructure for water and sewer service in a cost-efficient and sustainable manner by promoting densification for more efficient infrastructure and through policies that:

• Support compact and sustainable development.
• Prioritize investments that support new housing, commercial and facility development within planned centres and corridors
• Extend services into previously un-serviced areas only tandem with new development and financed by development projects.
• Do no support extension of services in areas outside the Urban Growth Boundary.
• Do not support extension of services for developments that do conform to the OCP.

Housing and Community

Create Safe and Complete Communities

RGS Objective 3.1 to locate services, jobs and amenities closer to where people live is supported throughout the OCP. Creating more self-sufficient neighbourhoods and a complete community is a cornerstone of the Plan. Chapter 1 includes a wide range of policies related to developing a series of compact, mixed-use centres throughout the Town to promote walkability, enhance access to services, reduce automobile reliance, strengthen the Town’s sense of place and increase housing choice.

Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 include specific policies for supporting higher density housing and a variety of housing forms to create choice and diversity in the mixed-use centres as well as other already developed areas of the Town. Specific policies are also included to address the unique housing needs of families, seniors and people with disabilities.

Chapter 2 further describes how the centres will be interconnected and easily accessed from established neighbourhoods through a multimodal transportation network.

In accordance with RGS Objective 3.1 Policy 3, the OCP also contains development permit area guidelines that discourage development near potential slope stability and water hazards.

Improve Housing Affordability

Consistent with RGS Objective 3.2, the policies in OCP Part 3 supports the development of both non-market affordable housing as well as housing that is “affordable by design”. Policies in the Land Use and Urban Design chapter and the Housing chapter of the OCP support the continuation of the Town’s existing Secondary Suites Program, financial contributions to the Regional Housing Trust Fund, dedication of affordable units within multifamily developments, collaborations and partnerships with other levels of government and non-market housing providers, residential infill, and a range of incentives for encouraging smaller and more affordable units.

Transportation

Improve Multi-Modal Connectivity and Mobility

The OCP contains many policies that draw on the View Royal Transportation Master Plan, which is consistent with the Regional Transportation Plan by identifying major routes and setting goals for a strong regional multimodal network. The “Land Use and Urban Design” and “Transportation and Mobility” chapters of the OCP emphasize multimodal transportation throughout the Town, and recognize walking, cycling and transit as priority transportation modes. Policies in both chapters address a wide range of issues for improving multimodal connections and transportation choice, including streetscape enhancements, cycling facility improvements, and expanded transit service.

The OCP directs the Town to work with community organizations, transportation agencies and other levels of government towards improvement of local and regional networks, including multiuse trails, rapid transit service and commuter rail. All the transportation policies within the OCP are consistent with RGS Objective 4.1 and are supported with complementary land use policies aimed at locating people closer to transit, trails and multimodal corridors as follows:

• Supporting densification in Town and Neighborhood Centres where there are opportunities for good multimodal transportation connections.
• Cooperating with transportation agencies and other levels of government to develop and improve regional multimodal transportation networks.
• Supporting Transportation Demand Management in developments to reduce automobile use.

Economic Development

Realize the Region’s Economic Potential

RGS Settlement Concept Map (3)b identifies three nodes in View Royal that match the Hospital Neighbourhood Centre (Eastern Gateway Corridor), Town Centre and Atkins Centre (Western Gateway Corridor) areas in the OCP. The policies to support investment, economic development, and employment in these areas are consistent with RGS Objective 5.1. There are no RGS Renewable Resource Lands within the Town.

Food Systems

Foster a Resilient Food and Agriculture System

There is very little active farmland and only one parcel within the Agricultural Land Reserve. Nevertheless, Part 1 of the OCP supports RGS Section 6.1 through policies that encourage the preservation of existing farmland, urban agriculture, and the consideration of a food security strategy.

Climate Change

Significantly Reduce Community-Based Greenhouse Gas Emissions

One of the nine principal goals of the OCP is “to confirm View Royal as an environmentally responsible community committed to becoming a more sustainable place and planning for global climate change.” The OCP is consistent with RGS objectives of a low-carbon built form that supports efficient energy use, the provision of clean and renewable district energy, active transportation modes, transit service, and low/zero emissions vehicles of a low-carbon built form to reduce energy demand. In accordance with RGS Objective 7.1 Policy 2, the energy and climate change policies in OCP Part 1 Section 4 set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and provide direction on how they could be met.