Victoria misses the mark with survey

Re: “Victoria’s planning survey misses design opportunities,” commentary, April 9.

Whatever Gene Miller contends, the question has never been about whether we want development or not. The question is: What kind of development do we want for our city?

This question deserves discussion of height, density, setback s, greenspace and, yes, design. All these determine what our city will look like and how they will impact the well-being of our residents.

To make the best decision for all, the city needs to hear from all its residents and residents have the right to be heard. The city’s survey does not do that.

Anyone who tries to complete it can see that it presents two options, and two options only. There are other options that meet the requirements of provincial legislation but the city does not want to hear about any, let alone tell us about them.

Also disturbing is the survey’s “one city, one plan” which takes a “one size fits all” approach.

It does not acknowledge the existence of neighbourhoods, each with its own unique attributes and needs. It does not recognize existing levels of density in a neighbourhood and the impact of proposed increases.

It excludes any mention of heritage preservation or conversion. It also links to maps that appear to propose new village boundaries with no prior consultation or justification.

As previous writers have pointed out, this is a flawed instrument that will not yield credible or reliable results that are vital to any OCP development process.

Residents of Victoria deserve so much better than this.

Barbara Marshall Victoria