ROCA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
May 9, 2024 - 7:00 pm
Saanich Community Church
4566 W. Saanich Rd
ROCA's AGM was held successfully and included a presentation from Saanich Mayor Dean Murdoch and a presentation from the developers representatives respecting the proposed condo tower on the current site of the Med Grill (see below). A new Executive for ROCA was elected although it is important to note that the Executive position of Secretary remains vacant. Your ROCA Executive would welcome any Member who would be willing to serve as Secretary on Executive. Please contact ROCA Executive and let us know of your willingness to serve.
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NEW UPDATE - November 2, 2023
(former) ROYAL OAK GOLF COURSE LANDS
The Capital Regional District (CRD) announced the acquisition of the nearly 11 hectares of land of the former golf course under its Regional Parks Land Acquisition Strategy. Since ceasing to operate as a golf course in 2016, this decision of the CRD fulfills almost 7 years of ROCA advisory input and efforts to preserve this site either in its current state as protected Agricultural Land Reserve and/or as park land. The development of an initial parks management strategy for this new park has been committed to by the CRD and ROCA fully anticipates that this will include full public engagement on future land uses for the site and relationship with the nearby Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park.
For information on the many issues impacting this site please see section at bottom of this page when the previous application for this site was proceeding through Saanich in 2019.
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(Photo above)
MED GRILL site 4512 W. Saanich Rd,
12 Storey, 80 unit market sale condominiums with ground floor commercial.
Architect Erica Sangster of Franc D'Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism and Deane Strongitharm of CitySpaces on behalf of the owner provided ROCA members with a project overview at the May 9, 2024 Annual General Meeting. Revised development permit and rezoning application have been filed with Saanich. Note that this project has been reduced in height and density from its original 19 storey proposal and now also includes removing the current heritage building from the site. See Saanich development permit site below for more detail on this project
4512westsaanich-site.pdf
4512westsaanich-elev.pdf
4512westsaanich-land.pdf
Some of the issues highlighted by ROCA members included traffic, parking, density, building height and potential conflicting mix of proposed residential and commercial units.
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SAANICH COUNCIL APPROVES
520 NORMANDY ROAD (68 units-4 storey) and
MATEAH (252 units-10 storey) at GLANFORD/ENTERPRISE
see project descriptions and Council Planning package via links below
https://saanich.ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=914&meta_id=47239
https://saanich.ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=1&event_id=914&meta_id=47241
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DORAL FOREST PARK
(now Marson)
(development proposal 4734\44\54 Elk Lake Drive)
NOTE: THIS PROJECT NOW APPEARS TO BE SUSPENDED IF NOT OUTRIGHT CANCELLED BY THE APPLICANT. THE LAND OPTION HAS SINCE REVERTED TO ORIGINAL OWNER AND NO NEW APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN FORTHCOMING ON THE PROPERTY AS OF FALL 2024.
JUNE 17, 2021
SAANICH COUNCIL IN A 7 - 2 VOTE
APPROVES REZONING AND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION FOR DORAL FOREST PARK (242 unit-11 storey) CONDOMINIUM.
SAANICH COUNCIL TO CONSIDER DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION DECEMBER 14, 2020
SAANICH PLANNING REPORT
NOVEMBER 27, 2020 :
MetaViewer.php (granicus.com)
AND
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT Dec 11, 2020
MetaViewer.php (granicus.com)
OCTOBER 29 2020
ROCA ADDITIONAL (AND LATEST) RESPONSE TO SAANICH
REFFERAL, SEE HERE
REZONING APPLICATION HAS BEEN FILED WITH SAANICH.
REQUEST IS TO REZONE FROM RA-3 to NEW SITE
SPECIFIC ZONE TO ACCOMMODATE:
242 UNITS IN TWO (2) BLDGS. - (up from 152 units previously)
BLDG HEIGHTS FROM 5 FLOORS TO 11 FLOORS
200 UNDERGROUND PARKING STALLS
15% AFFORDABLE HOUSING
April 13, 2020
ROCA EXECUTIVE HAS RESPONDED TO SAANICH ON THE
REZONING APPLICATION - click HERE
FOR INFORMATION
ROCA MEMBERS/COMMUNITY OPEN FORUM Jan 30, 2019
Doral Forest Park Development - 4734/44/54 Elk Lake Dr.
copy of the full Open Forum Transcript, CLICK HERE
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MATEAH
NOTE: THIS PROJECT APPEARS TO BE IN SUSPENSION WITH LAND OPTIONS HAVING APPARENTLY EXPIRED WITHOUT RENEWAL.
DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL
(BIRD OF PARADISE property located at 4294 Glanford Ave and 750/760 Enterprise Cres.)
REZONING APPLICATION HAS BEEN FILED WITH SAANICH
Request is to rezone from C-14 Neighbourhood Public House and M-3 Industrial Park, to a new site-specific zone to construct a new
eight (8) to ten (10) storey, 251 unit mixed use condominium
(Note: development application is shown on District of Saanich website under CAREY, not Royal Oak.) It can be viewed on the Saanich website as follows:
Site Plan - HERE
Elevations - HERE
Landscape - HERE
November 5, 2020
See ROCA response to District of Saanich referral request -
click HERE
See ROCA Community Information Sheet HERE
(comments to ROCA welcome)
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520 NORMANDY RD
(currently under construction)
Note: July 2021 - A revised application removing the 8 townhomes and now proposing a single 68 unit 4 storey apartment building has been developed by the applicant and is now going through the developers public consultation process. A public video conference meeting was held on August 17, 2021 (meeting details HERE). See developer presentation to ROCA Executive HERE
Previous project description - To rezone from RS-6 (Single Family Dwelling) Zone to a Site Specific Zone to construct a 65 unit, 6 storey apartment building over a small parking garage (7 storey's total) along with 8 townhomes. Variances requested.
NOTE: SAANICH COUNCIL REVIEWED DECEMBER 7, 2020 AND SENT BACK TO PLANNING FOR FURTHER WORK WITH THE APPLICANT
SAANICH PLANNING REPORT CAN BE VIEWED HERE:
Saanich Referral June 17/19 HERE
NOTE: ROCA has not received any additional information on this proposed development other than what has been filed with Saanich to date, which can be viewed HERE
SEE June 24, 2019 ROCA RESPONSE TO SAANICH REFERRAL HERE
SEE ROCA Community Information Sheet HERE
(comments to ROCA welcome)
SEE NOVEMBER 30, 2020 ROCA RESPONSE TO
2ND SAANICH REFERRAL HERE
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738 Miller Road
To rezone a portion of the lot from A-1 to RS-4 to create three lots and rezone the remainder to RS-6 to create two pandhandle lots for a total of five lots. Variances for setbacks are requested. A Streamside Development Permit is also required.
See Developer presentation HERE
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UPDATE:
SAANICH Council has "PAUSED" the
LOCAL AREA PLANNING
Process
The ROYAL OAK LAP, now some 20 years old and which was scheduled for update starting in
mid 2022 is now postponed indefinitely
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Development Updates (ALL)
for active developments registered at Saanich, click HERE This will connect you to the District of Saanich web site
See comprehensive ROCA prepared UPDATE report on all active and potential developments HERE
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FORMER ROYAL OAK GOLF COURSE
NOTE: NOVEMBER 2024-THE CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT ANNOUNCED THE PURCHASE OF THESE LANDS FROM THEIR PARK ACQUISITION FUND AND NOW MANAGES THESE LAND AS PARKLAND.
(PREVIOUS ACTIVITY NOTED BELOW)
APPLICATION TO REMOVE FROM
AGRICULTURAL LAND RESERVE
APPLICATION WITHDRAWN FROM COUNCIL MEETING BY APPLICANT FALL 2019-NOW ON "HOLD"
STAFF PLANNING REPORT here
former Royal Oak Golf Course:
Application to exclude land from the Agricultural Land Reserve
See new Saanich Referral here and Soils report here Dated May 2/19 (comments now due later in June)
SEE June 24, 2019 ROCA RESPONSE TO SAANICH REFERRAL HERE
BACKGROUND
This property has been purchased by a group of Canadian property developers with local representation. While a development proposal has not yet been disclosed, an application has been made to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to remove the land from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The application first gets submitted to the District of Saanich to review and provide comments to the ALC. Saanich Planning is currently reviewing the application and will eventually submit the application along with their planning report to Saanich Council. The first step for direct public input would be before a Saanich Council Committee of the Whole meeting.
If the land is ultimately removed from the ALR, a possible next step may be a request to adjust the Urban Containment Boundary (UCB) to allow development on this property, which currently sits largely outside that boundary. A further step would likely be a rezoning application.
ROCA has been asked to provide a response on the current application to remove the land from the ALR. ROCA's original submission to Saanich in 2018 can be found HERE along with the Members Forum Transcript HERE.
Your feedback is requested. As a resident of Royal Oak, please do some research and carefully consider this proposal for the community.
You may send your questions/comments directly to this address:
Saanich Planning
[email protected]
Ref: 540 Marsett Pl, File #ALR00017
(and please ‘cc’ [email protected])
or send comments directly to that email and we will forward them as part of our comment.
Please share this request with anyone you think might be interested in providing feedback.
Thank you!
The ROCA Executive
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ONGOING
SAANICH COUNCIL APPROVES
FIRE STATION #2 REDEVELOPMENT
4595 Elk Lake Drive
MAY 28, 2019 MEDIA RELEASE, please click here
For Project Information, please click here
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Thanks to everyone who has joined us so far in this exciting new initiative.
Thank you for visiting our website.
We hope you find the information on this site useful and informative.
If you have any suggestions for our website or suggestions about issues concerning Royal Oak, please use the form at the bottom of this page to connect with the ROCA executive.
We hope you find the information on this site useful and informative.
If you have any suggestions for our website or suggestions about issues concerning Royal Oak, please use the form at the bottom of this page to connect with the ROCA executive.
Historic Royal Oak Schoolhouse, now operating as the Royal Oak Neighbourhood House
Med Grill in Fall
