Concerns raised over urban containment boundary as Saanich adopts new OCP

The District of Saanich’s new Official Community Plan was adopted Tuesday, despite opposition from two councillors concerned about the future of the urban containment boundary, which protects rural land from most forms of development.

Coun. Nathalie Chambers, who also voted against adoption of the OCP, said while she agrees with “density in certain areas at certain times,” she’s concerned about creating “density ghettos that create heat domes without trees.”Mayor Dean Murdock, however, said he doesn’t see the wording change in the OCP as a significant shift.

The newly minted plan, which has been two years in the works and marks the first update to the OCP in 16 years, incorporates new demographic information and updates land-use policies. The plan incorporates the three transit-oriented development areas identified by provincial legislation — the Uptown transit hub, Royal Oak exchange and University of Victoria — that will now have to align with new provincial regulations that require building-height minimums of up to 10 storeys within 200 metres of the exchange and up to six storeys within 201 to 400 metres.

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