Village Vitality: Oak Bay Village Plan
Priority: Support our village areas to be livable, accessible, and vibrant
Action: Oak Bay Village is the heart of our community. If we want our community to be healthy, we need to ensure the village is livable, vibrant, and sustainable – a place our residents want to gather, socialize, shop and support local businesses and restaurants.
The viability of small businesses in Oak Bay village and our secondary village is important in shaping and maintaining a unique “village culture.” In addition to a village vision (articulated in the OCP), I believe we need an OB Village Plan to support more people living along the village corridor, increasing pedestrian traffic, which will in turn support a diversity of businesses. A Village Plan will also allow the community to be more proactive regarding the kind, density, and design of housing stock that is developed along these village corridors and, would provide certainty for residents, businesses, and developers. Additionally, a Village Plan will allow staff to develop shovel ready projects so we can leverage federal grant money for sidewalks, parking, bike lanes, public spaces, infrastructure and building assets. It is timely to develop a plan for Oak Bay Village. In sum, a Village Plan will:
- Improve the viability of small businesses and create diversity in our commercial districts
- Provide housing options (and relieve pressure for infill in residential areas)
- Add parking spaces
- Increase village vibrancy and sustainability
- Improve walkability, mobility, and public spaces
- Ensure shovel-ready plans to leverage federal infrastructure grants
- Give predictability and design control over future land use projects