Victoria, BC, Missing Middle Initiative -- Key Dates -- Please plan to participate

Thanks again to all of you who signed the peitition, and to those who made comments. 

On June 9, Victoria City Council passed a motion to reduce the public engagement it had approved on May 26.  Here is the new timeline:

-- Give public notice of an Information Session via a post-card mail-out to residents.

-- July 12 -- hold an information Session, which will reveal the Missing Middle bylaw and policy changes. 

-- July 14 -- the bylaw and policy changes will be considered by Council.  If they approve, then

--August 4 -- hold a public hearing. 

Please plan to participate in the Information Session and the public hearing!

We will provide more information as it becomes available.

Notes: This is a tight 2-day time-line between providing by-law details at the information session and council's consideration.  It has been termed "undemocratic" and "outrageous."

Holding a public hearing in mid-summer on an issue of this importance is highly unusual.  Over 10,000 residences all over Victoria would be affected and many owners and renters will be dis-enfranchised. 

The MM Initiative is market-driven and will not provide affordable housing.

The MM Initiative is a "blanket" policy which will re-zone single-family and duplex properties everywhere in the city to permit multi-plexes and townhouses. The allowable density will be doubled; building heights will be increased; set-backs will be reduced; parking will be reduced. Most important is that public/neighbour comment will be eliminated.

MM planned changes include policy updates to Neighbourhood Plans and the Tenant Assistance Policy, plus a new citywide Missing Middle Housing Policy which will guide future rezoning applications.