At the council meeting Oak Bay councillor Tara Ney said she could see a lot of benefits to building an enormous two-family home on a small lot in my neighbourhood.
But she didn’t name one. Mayor candidate Green said this is what young families have been asking for, but she didn’t enquire about the price.
All councillors and the current mayor, Nils Jensen, drew attention to the fact that we already have duplexes in my neighbourhood. No one mentioned, perhaps because they don’t know, that you can live on Eastdowne or Estevan roads for years before one day realizing that a house you’ve walked past dozens of times has two walkways and two doors – they’re single story bungalows that share a wall; nothing at all like the proposed development on Estevan and Caddy Bay.
Each member of council mentioned the new Official Community Plan while conveying their support for rezoning.
Do you remember voting for that plan?
I have yet to meet a supporter. No doubt you’re out there, and have sincere motives, but believe me, your silence is deafening.
How have you so quietly managed to manage the entire council?
Murdoch, Ney, Copley, Green and even Herbert voted to build a giant two-family duplex right next one of your neighbours’ bungalows. In doing so, they also voted for a new type of zoning, one that can be applied elsewhere.
So, when I am ready to retire this is my plan: I’ll propose something outrageous (say a triplex on a my Eastdowne bungalow lot). I’ll rent my home while I wait for the rejection. Then, I’ll propose the duplex I wanted to build all along.
I’ll emphasize the sacrifices I’ve made to the original design, and I’ll complain about the time the whole process has taken.
Finally, I’ll point out the duplexes are all over my neighbourhood, including that huge one at the corner. That should make the variance vote unanimous.
Or maybe (hopefully), by then my current next-door neighbour gets more support from the community than the person who tried to defend her way of life this evening.
John Taylor
Oak Bay
