What is behind Saanich council’s move to streamline its development-approval process? Nothing new exists. Staff suggests reducing (eliminating?) public input through community associations, the advisory design panel, council meetings and public hearings.
Why? To facilitate developers’ bottom line: increase supply; and (apparently) end the housing crisis. This, while more than 8,831 private dwellings remained unoccupied in Greater Victoria (2016 Census).
Coincidentally, this is in lock-step with Saanich’s neighbour, Victoria, which over the past four years has reduced the rezoning and development-approval time from three or more years, to less than three months.
What propels this compelling need to reduce citizen participation? Pressure from developers, investors, and builders who want: access to land quickly, cut red-tape, and limit public engagement. In property development, time is money.
Cities compete in the global economic system to see who offers the biggest benefits and least risk to the property-development and financial services industry. All the industry wants is elected officials willing to dismantle democratic institutions. Why?
The existing land-use framework, and the development-approval process is seen as antiquated – an impediment to the relentless demand of capital markets for lucrative places to invest.
Not hard to see why Saanich and Victoria mayors want to join forces to whittle away the democratic process.
Are you willing to pay the price?
Victoria Adams
Victoria