Saanichton Village Design Plan sets 30-year vision

The core of Saanichton Village now has an official Design Plan that will help shape the design for redevelopment of buildings, public spaces, and transportation routes for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles over the long term.

“This plan provides a roadmap for redevelopment that will create more people spaces, emphasize the urban forest and offer a more walkable design,” said Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor.

“The official Design Plan for Saanichton Village is extensive and exciting and I look forward to the positive direction of the plan,” said Saanichton Village Association President Judy Binder. “Preserving the village feel is very important for the residents of Saanichton.”

The District began the plan in 2019 with community consultation and studies; the early work revealed the core is characterized by car-centric development with limited green space and public spaces for gathering. Public feedback reflected a sense of pride in the community along with a strong desire to protect and enhance qualities such as green space and walkability.

“Working with stakeholders, residents and business has been a very positive experience,” says Windsor. “The community was very appreciative of this project and recognized the need for it.”

The design provides a framework for creating a vibrant, compact, walkable, mixed-use village, through policies, guidelines and an implementation strategy. The Saanichton Village Design Plan will inform development applications within Saanichton, and be integrated into the Official Community Plan as part of the OCP Review Project that just began and is runs until 2022.

Highlights of the Saanichton Village Design Plan

• The plan provides a 30-year vision for the Saanichton Village core.
• The plan’s proposed policies and guidelines will guide private and public investment and redevelopment.
• The plan envisions a compact, people-focused Village with more green spaces, public gathering spaces and pedestrian-oriented design.
• The plan calls for a range of multi-use, multi-storey buildings (three to five storeys) with an emphasis on street-level storefronts and a residential units above.
• Off-street parking (underground or at the rear of buildings) would minimize impacts on the pedestrian realm.
• Incorporate permeable surfacing and trees to manage rainwater, provide shade and provide urban habitat.

“The village has a strong community invested in it, and it will all of us working together to coordinate redevelopments with the vision, and improve the core for the future,” said Windsor.