Esquimalt’s 2007 Official Community Plan (OCP) divides the municipality into ten broad land use designations. The designations of Multi-Unit, High-Rise Residential and Commercial Mixed-Use allow for buildings up to and including ten storeys in height with a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 2.0.
The OCP also allows Council to consider greater heights and/or higher densities than 2.0, provided the project will enhance the community through the provision of affordable or special needs housing or other amenities.
Since the adoption of the OCP, several development proposals have been presented to Council which have heights in excess of 10 storeys and floor area ratios or densities much higher than 2.0. Developers have told the municipality that building to the numbers set in the OCP would not be economically viable. On March 24th, a panel of speakers with extensive experience in urban planning, architecture and development discussed this at a Community Forum held at the Municipal Hall.
Now we want to hear from you, the residents of Esquimalt. The links below will take you to 1) additional information on the official community plan and land-use designations, 2) a Powerpoint presentation developed for the recent workshops on height and density, and 3) a questionnaire for you to print out and complete. Completed questionnaires should be returned to Esquimalt Municipal Hall or Recreation Centre by October 23rd, 2009.
1) Official Community Plan information – PDF, 928 KB
2) Height and density Powerpoint presentation - PDF, 7.4 MB
3) Questionnaire on building heights and density - PDF, 963 KB
(Please print and return the questionnaire to Esquimalt Municipal Hall or Recreation Centre when completed.)
A report on the proceedings of the OCP workshops and a summary of information gathered from these worksheets will be going to the Committee of the Whole and the Advisory Planning Commission in November.
If you have questions or ideas you want to discuss, please contact Development Services staff at 414-7108.