Victoria Times Colonist, 9 November 2005
Development became a hot issue in the 2005 campaign, as Ben called for "development on a human scale" to give residents an active voice in developments shaping their neighbourhoods
Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe is an architect not a planner.
Perhaps that’s why Lowe fails to mention urban planning goals in his re-election campaign literature or his platform for a “vibrant and sustainable” city.
The mayor is expected to announce a new planner for the city this week. That could offer him an opportunity to raise the campaign profile of an issue already bubbling in neighbourhoods feeling the pressure of development.
Other incumbent councillors Chris Coleman, Bea Holland, Helen Hughes and Charlayne Thornton-Joe, endorsed by Lowe, also fail to mention planning in their campaign blurbs.
By contrast, Ben Isitt, Victoria Civic Electors’ candidate for mayor, has come out specifically against highrise development that “threatens to destroy the character of Victoria’s neighbourhoods and downtown.”
Isitt accuses Lowe, “who appears to listen more to developers than residents,” of ignoring community plans. His platform calls for “development on a human scale” that gives residents an active voice in the developments shaping their neighbourhoods.
Incumbent VCE Coun. Pamela Madoff has also spoken against highrise development. In the past, she has called for height restrictions in the downtown area.
But the platform adopted by Madoff, Coun. Dean Fortin and the other four VCE council candidates calls for “maintaining building height limits to preserve the form and character of our neighbourhoods” without mentioning any specific heights.
The VCE hopefuls also support implementation of a consultant’s report to reshape the planning department and update neighbourhood plans.
Former councillor Geoff Young has made planning one of his top issues in his bid to return to council.
“Stable neighbourhoods are the key to a livable city,” he said in his campaign brochure. “We need zoning that protects them.”
He does not get into details about what kind of development is acceptable for downtown.
Candidate Shannon Renault, chairwoman of the downtown advisory committee, said she would advocate for the upgrading and adoption of neighbourhood plans.
She supports meeting the commercial needs of downtown and said “densification is absolutely needed.”
While it’s important to maintain the scale of Old Town, she said the issues of multi-storey buildings in “shoulder areas” should be considered “on the merit of individual projects.”
The Green party’s Philippe Lucas has pledged in his platform to “seek broad input” on all major development and land-use issues but doesn’t get into details. Fellow Green candidate Sonya Chandler calls for review and implementation of “long-neglected neighbourhood plans” with a stronger commitment from city hall for consultation with residents.
Candidate Wayne Poohachoff, board member of the North Park Neighbourhood Association, criticizes the “ad nauseam” spot zoning of property by past city councils.
Poohachoff believes more resources should be put into planning to reduce the need for rezonings.
He also supports “targeting growth based on community needs to underutilized and rundown sites.”
