• Download the Official Community Plan 2008 (4.7MB)
• What is the Official Community Plan (OCP)?
• Where can I get a copy of the New Official Community Plan?
• How was the New Official Community Plan prepared?
• Where can I find general information on Community Planning?
• Contact Planning Staff.

What is the Official Community Plan (OCP)?

The Official Community Plan (OCP) applies to the entire municipality and is the principal policy document that Council uses to make decisions on matters such as: land use; growth management; design of the built environment; protection of the environment; transportation and mobility; economic development; infrastructure; and housing needs. The Official Community Plan is basically a tool to help Council and citizens manage change in our community.

The Official Community Plan is not a static document.  To remain relevant the Official Community Plan will evolve over time to reflect the changing needs and desires of the community.   Typically Official Community Plans are reviewed every 5-10 years, with Council, the public, staff and other key stakeholders, to determine if the vision, goals and objectives of the document are still valid, and where the document might need to be altered to reflect changes in our community. In addition, the Official Community Plan needs to be updated on a regular basis to ensure that it reflects current practices, policies and procedures.

A number of other policy documents work in tandem with the Official Community Plan, such as: 12 Local Area Plans; a number of Action Plans; and the Development Permit Area Guidelines. All of these policy documents must conform to the policies of the Official Community Plan, but are meant to capture issues unique to neighbourhoods or other specified areas within Saanich.

The Official Community Plan also works in tandem with the Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) which is administered by the Capital Regional District. The purpose of the Regional Growth Strategy is to encourage the Regional District and member municipalities to prepare for growth and future change in an integrated manner.  The Official Community Plan of each municipality within the Capital Region must acknowledge and account for the eight strategic initiatives of the Regional Growth Strategy, namely:

• Keep urban settlement compact;
• Protect the integrity of rural communities;
• Protect regional green and blue space;
• Manage natural resources and the environment sustainably;
• Build complete communities;
• Improve housing affordability;
• Increase transportation choice; and
• Strengthen the regional economy

Where can I get a copy of the New Official Community Plan?

• Online versions
• Hard Copies, can be purchased at the Saanich Planning Department, Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue ($15 per Black & White Copy (with colour maps), $25 per full colour copy.)
• Reference Copies are available for viewing at the Saanich Planning Department.

How was the New Official Community Plan prepared?

The general steps or phases of the 2007 – 2008 Official Community Plan review were as follows:

Public and Stakeholder input was collected through a variety of means to ensure as many, and as broad range of citizens as possible could participate in the review process.  Input was collected through:

• Surveys (online, paper and telephone)
• Open Houses
• Focus Groups
• Written and verbal feedback throughout the review process
• Neighbourhood Associations
• Stakeholder Groups

Where can I find general information on Community Planning?

For general information on community planning you may wish to review the web links below, speak with Saanich Planning staff, visit the web-site and/or offices of the CRD Regional Planning Department (regarding the growth strategy), or explore your local library or bookstore.

Official Community Plan

The new Official Community Plan (OCP) was adopted by Council on July 8th, 2008.
The OCP can be downloaded in its entirety (4.7 MB), or by sections, as outlined below.

Section				Appendices
1.0	Introduction			A.1	Glossary
2.0	Vision			A.2	Local Area Plans
3.0	Planning Context			A.3	Bylaw & Amendments
	3.1	Physical Setting
	3.2	Past and Present		Maps  (all PDF documents)
	3.3	Residents		Map 1	Environmentally Sensitive Areas
	3.4	Planning Framework		Map 2	Urban Forest (1.6 MB)
	3.5	Regional Context		Map 3	Watersheds, Waterways and Floodplains
4.0	Environmental Integrity			Map 4	Urban Containment and Villages and Centres
	4.1	Natural Environment		Map 5	Development Permit Areas
		4.1.1	Climate Change	Map 6	General Land Use
		4.1.2	A Sustainable Ecosystem	Map 7	Institutional Lands
	4.2	Built Environment		Map 8	Industrial Lands
		4.2.1	Sustainable Land Use	Map 9	Parks, Recreation, Trails & Open Space
		4.2.2	Urban Design & Accessibility	Map 10	Greenways
		4.2.3	Centres & Villages	Map 11	View Corridors (4.8 MB)
		4.2.4	Neighbourhoods	Map 12	Bicycle Network
		4.2.5	Rural	Map 13	Pedestrian Network
		4.2.6	Institutional	Map 14	Transit Network
		4.2.7	Industrial	Map 15	Road Network
		4.2.8	Parks, Trails, Open Space & Vistas	Map 16	Water Infrastructure
		4.2.9	Mobility	Map 17	Storm Water Infrastructure
		4.2.10	Public Infrastructure	Map 18	Sewer Infrastructure
5.0	Social Well-Being			Map 19	Agricultural Lands
	5.1	Basic Needs		Map 20	Cultural Resources
		5.1.1	Agriculture & Food Security	Map 21	Heritage Resources
		5.1.2	Housing	Map 22	Local Areas
		5.1.3	Employment
		5.1.4	Public Health & Safety
	5.2	Strengthening Community
		5.2.1	Community Involvement & Partnerships
		5.2.2	Recreation
		5.2.3	Arts & Culture
		5.2.4	Heritage
6.0	Economic Vibrancy
	6.1	Economic Infrastructure
	6.2	Diversification and Enhancement
7.0	Taking Action and Tracking Progress
	7.1	Implementation
	7.2	Indicators
	7.3	Regional Context Statement

Survey Results

Earlier this year Malatest Consulting, on behalf of the District, contacted a random cross section of Saanich residents by telephone. Residents contacted by Malatest were asked to provide feedback on future community planning in Saanich, based on a survey covering a broad range of issues.

The same survey used during the telephone interviews could also be completed online. Paper copies of the survey were also available at all of the Saanich Community Centres, at the Municipal Hall, and at two public Open Houses.

Notices were placed in the Saanich News, Times Colonist and on the Saanich web page regarding opportunities to provide input on the Community Plan update.

Survey Questions

RESULTS

Community Priorities and Arts & Culture

Housing Issues

Personal Decisions

General Growth Management

Local Agriculture

Demographics

Open ended Questions

It is important to note that the survey results have been split into the two response categories as outlined below.

Statistically Significant results reflect those surveys completed by telephone. These results are statistically significant as the selection of individuals to complete the survey was random, and the sample size was large enough to give us an accurate reflection of how the greater Saanich community feels about an issue.

Self Selecting results reflect those surveys completed on-line or paper copies completed at an Open House or at one of the Community Centres or at the Municipal Hall. This group is referred to as "Self Selectors" because they made the active choice to obtain and complete the survey, rather than being randomly selected. The results from the "Self Selecting" group are fairly similar to the "Statistically Significant" group.

The results from the survey, along with other forms of stakeholder input have been used to inform the writing of the Official Community Plan.

Contact Planning Staff

If you have any questions regarding the Official Community Plan, please do not hesitate to contact Sharon Hvozdanski by one of the means noted below.

In Person: The Planning Department is located on the top floor of Saanich Hall - 770 Vernon Avenue.
Telephone: 475-5494, ext. 3409
Email: Sharon Hvozdanski