Apr
6
Relationships
Apr 2015
Submitted by the James Bay Neighbourhood Association
An on-going feature on land use & planning - to alert, inform, and prompt community action - and to celebrate success!
Mayor Lisa Helps presented ‘Going Forward,’ Victoria City Council's direction on a new relationship with neighbourhoods, to a receptive audience at the March 11, 2015 meeting of the James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA).
The newly elected Mayor and Council have committed to engage in a continuous dialogue with Victoria neighbourhoods over the current four year term. A Draft Strategic Plan, with 13 strategic objectives and associated actions and outcomes, has been developed to guide Council's decision-making and their interaction with neighbourhoods for the next four years.
Some of the objectives and actions included in the plan include: creation of interdisciplinary cross-departmental project teams, identification of dedicated staff to work with neighbourhood associations, creation of a “great neighbourhoods initiative” similar to Edmonton, reduced processing times for applications, Local Area Planning focused on urban villages and transportation corridors, creation of an integrated facilities and real estate arm, complete an infrastructure and facilities assessment, creation of an Economic Development Task force, revitalize Douglas Street, work to make Victoria more affordable, facilitate an interdisciplinary continuum of health care services, facilitate social inclusion and community wellness, enhance and steward public spaces, green spaces and food systems, complete a multi-modal and active transportation network, nurture Victoria's arts, culture and learning capital, steward water systems and waste streams responsibly, plan for emergencies including climate change, and demonstrate regional leadership.
The Draft Strategic Plan is available online at
In a demonstration of regional initiative, Helps invited all citizens to join in the conversation, the Greatest Greater Victoria Conversation. Conversation events will help to inform the requirements of the proposed study of governance and amalgamation, to be undertaken by the provincial government. The first event, with speakers and round table discussions was held on February 24th. Participants included many from neighbourhood associations throughout Victoria and the region.
Another event is scheduled for Tuesday April 21, 5-8:30pm, at the Victoria Conference Centre. Former Premier Mike Harcourt will be the keynote speaker. Advance tickets are available for this free event.
Complementary to the Greatest Greater Victoria Conversation, The Victoria Salon held its inaugural debate, focussed on the question of Amalgamation, on March 24. An audio of the fascinating and informative debate can be heard at .
While the City continues to seek on-line citizen feedback on the Draft Strategic Plan, Helps is not waiting for feedback prior to initiating action. She has scheduled a weekly dialogue inviting residents to the Mayor’s Friday drop in sessions – 2 hour group discussions, usually 11am to 1pm. (Check web-site for dates/times).
She will be meeting with the cruise industry at their annual meeting in Seattle in April 2015 to discuss SO2 levels, improved transportation options and Victoria's relationship with the industry.
A revised sewage task force began discussions in March, with a mandate to look at locations, high level treatment, cost efficiency, and long term service (optimistically aiming for an approved plan by June 2015). The task force will identify sites and resource recovery plants, and secure community approval to meet the set funding commitments of March 2016. Helps wants the best waste treatment system for the long term.
Mayor Helps fielded questions on the state of city sidewalks along the Belleville ferry terminal (to be addressed in 2017 in co-ordination with the Provincial Ministry of Transportation terminal upgrade), the 40k speed limit (requires feedback from planners to determine if the current pilot project will be expanded), the recommendations of the 2007 sidewalk study (will look into the status of the Pedestrian Plan). Helps dialogue indicated that she was aware of important issues to James Bay residents: speed limits, traffic and transportation including development of both the Ogden Point and Belleville terminals, and that she hoped to work collaboratively to deal with these issues.
James Bay Library Branch:
Marg Gardiner made a presentation on consultation to date with the developers of Capital Park and the importance of a library branch/multi-use facility in James Bay. Structural provisions for the load capacity required by a library must be an early part of the design process. The Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) has requested Capital and Operating funding from the City for development of a branch. Going forward from 2017, the substantial tax revenues from Capital Park would more than fund another library and the density of population in James Bay will more than warrant a branch. A local branch would enable the main branch to be relocated to a less central location in the downtown. There are currently 10 branches in the GVPL: 4 branches are in Saanich, one in Oak Bay, one in Langford with the main branch on Broughton Street in Victoria. Not all municipalities in the CRD are partnered with the GVPL. This JBNA presentation was also shown at the March 12 City Council Public Hearing.
REMINDER: The JBNA Annual General Meeting begins at 6 pm on April 8, at New Horizons. Please bring your copies of AGM agenda and proposed Constitution/Bylaws information which you received in March. Constitution and bylaws are posted on in case you have misplaced the information and/or e-mail from March 11/12.
The regular JBNA General Meeting will follow the AGM.
General Meeting Agenda - 7 pm on April 8
- GVHA will make a presentation on Fisherman’s Wharf Floating Washrooms.
- Rezoning 121 Menzies Street from 7 to 13 units
- Re-Zoning and set-back Variance: 520 Niagara (Cathedral School)
Murray Miller, Senior Heritage Planner, City of Victoria
- Community Safety: beginning of a discussion (time Permitting)
“panhandling and loitering in James Bay” led by Wayne Shillington, JBNA