The push to urbanize North Saanich raises serious issues.
The declared agenda of the majority (of four) on council is the promotion of urban development in North Saanich (NS). This represents a major change in the District’s long term land use policies requiring the creation of new urban zones with densities up to four times higher than current levels.
This policy shift has seen a flood of development applications and proposals, predictably creating growth pressures not previously experienced in the district. A recent CRD planning report has noted that the new proposed urban growth level will require a change to the established role of NS in the Regional Growth Strategy.
This push for substantial housing expansion is at odds with recent population growth data. In its 2007 Official Community Plan the District planned future housing stock on projected population estimates for 2011 between a high of 11,765 and a low of 11,510. Recent census data shows NS actual population in 2011 at only 11,089, significantly less than the OCP projections. This despite the fact the District’s population increase percentage between 2006-2011 (2.5 per cent) was higher than Sidney, Central Saanich or Saanich.
Research related to the 2008 NS Housing Strategy Report found that 56 per cent of all households earned less than $75,000 annually and 38 per cent (and 71 per cent of single parent families) earned less than $50,000.
Affordability is a major obstacle for these income groups but simply promoting market based developments, as now proposed in NS, has not been effective in meeting these needs. Instead it requires meaningful affordable housing policies which to date the majority has refused to consider.
This radical philosophical shift risks fundamentally changing the face of North Saanich.
Dee Bailin
North Saanich
(Dee Bailin is a former North Sanich district councillor)
