Royal Bay, a 234-hectare site operated as a gravel pit and quarry since the early part of the 20th century. Located in Greater Victoria’s West Shore, close to Royal Roads University, this waterfront property is planned to be home to 7,000 residents. A seaside village, waterfront promenade, and a greenway around the perimeter of the property, parks, and schools are key features of the Master Plan.
CitySpaces Involvement
CitySpaces was the prime planning consultant from inception to completion of the Royal Bay Master Plan spearheading an extensive public consultation plan, and leading the approvals of an Official Community Plan area plan, a complex rezoning, and design guidelines.
Scope of Services
CitySpaces’ roles included:
• Coordinating a core team of planning, landscape architecture, and engineering consultants
• Conducting a multi-phase public consultation process
• Coordinating impact assessments by social, environmental, transportation, soils, and servicing professionals
• Achieving complex municipal rezoning and Development Permit approvals
Project Objectives and Constraints
The overall objective was to develop a Master Plan for multi-year build out of Royal Bay that successfully transformed the mining operation to a mixed-use community.
• Residents of the adjacent rural municipality were vehemently opposed to this development
• Ongoing quarrying operations reduced the amount of vegetative cover and increased the
amount of land that needed to be reclaimed and regraded prior to development
• Initial resistance by Colwood administration to the creation of small lot subdivisions and alternative development standards for subdivisions
Deliverables
• Securing all municipal approvals, including an amendment to Colwood’s Official Community Plan, complex rezonings that included a wide range of stakeholders, and design guidelines related to environmental protection, and form and character of buildings
• Coordinating public consultations; preparing all communications materials, including presentations, displays, advertisements, newsletters and special events for Royal Bay
Demonstrated Ability To Meet Resources And Time Commitments
• CitySpaces Project Manager (Gwyn Symmons) successfully navigated a multi-party and multistakeholder planning and rezoning process
• Successful negotiations with School District #62 (Sooke) for a educational campus – middle school, secondary school – integrated with a community recreational area, and the greenway that links the entire community
Under the plan developed for Royal Bay approximately 400 homes and associated park land and trail systems were built in the initial phases and construction commenced on the secondary school. The remaining vacant lands have been purchased by the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation which is currently reviewing the approved plans
PROJECT TEAM:
