Possible changes to Oak Bay’s zoning bylaw could soon restrict some businesses from setting up shop in the Village.
At the July 7 meeting, council voted in favour of a motion that would prevent new real estate offices from occupying Village storefronts.
The motion, submitted by Coun. Hazel Braithwaite, called on the district to apply the same zoning bylaw restrictions financial institutions face to real estate offices.
Currently, financial institutions are permitted to occupy commercial-use spaces and Village commercial-use spaces above and below street level. New financial institutions, however, are forbidden from occupying Village commercial-use and mixed-use spaces at street level.
According to Braithwaite, the move was designed, in part, to protect the vibrancy of the Village, prevent commercial homogeneity and ensure equitable access to commercial space.
“We already apply zoning restrictions to financial institutions in Oak Bay,” said Coun. Cairine Green, reading a letter on behalf of Braithwaite, who didn’t attend the meeting. “Real estate offices share many operational similarities with financial institutions: low public interaction, limited walk-in clientele and underutilized storefronts. It is both reasonable and consistent to apply the same zoning logic to both.”
Braithwaite’s letter added that this move would be an interim measure “to remain in effect until the Village-area planning process is further advanced and a comprehensive review of land-use designations and definitions can be undertaken.”
Mayor Kevin Murdoch spoke favourably of Braithwaite’s motion.
“I'm supportive of this,” he said. “There was a time when banks were propagating and taking up a lot of the retail front-end space in the Village.”
The Oak Bay Business Improvement Association – an organization that represents 150 member businesses and organizations in the district – submitted a letter to council on July 3 in support of the move.
“While we value our real estate members, we have heard consistently from the community that there is no appetite for additional offices to open in Oak Bay Village,” reads the letter. “In order to maintain the Village as a vibrant commercial centre, a mix of the types of businesses is necessary to draw people from the vicinity and beyond. As the economic landscape shifts, it is important to put supports in place that ensure the Village continues to be a place where people have multiple reasons to visit.”
An Oak Bay resident, who chose not to share her name, said she agrees with the move “if we’re short of space.” The woman added that she doesn't think real estate offices promote neighbourhood vibrancy like coffee shops and restaurants do.
A Saanich resident, who also opted to remain anonymous, expressed a similar sentiment.
“One of the things with a real estate office is it doesn’t have to be a storefront right at street level – they could be on the second level, and they could have something that’s more community friendly on the main level,” said the woman. “I don’t seek out a real estate agent from an office front – I would phone them if I'm interested in a particular dwelling.”
Victoria resident Linda Bradley, who visits Oak Bay twice a week, is against the move.
“If a business can afford the rent, then the business has the right to ... be in that space,” she said. “I mean, do I want to see six real estate offices in a row down Oak Bay? Probably not. But telling a business where they can and can’t have a business – that doesn’t resonate with my values.”
Staff will return to council with a draft bylaw for debate at a future meeting.
