Council approved a cannabis shop at 2579 Cadboro Bay Road and asked staff to prepare a report on a broader retail policy. The sharpest dispute was over a proposed five-storey, 16-home building at 2090 Cadboro Bay Road: council first rejected a proposal to send it back for more work, then voted to deny the application. Other decisions included appointing a new chief financial officer, approving three property variances and advancing a heritage agreement amendment after learning part of the protected house had already been removed. Council also approved $2,500 for a Songhees Nation elders lunch and backed advocacy for continued funding of the Mobile Youth Services Team.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
An Oak Bay resident urged council to stick to the Official Community Plan (OCP), especially during the election period, and not approve proposals that depart from it. The speaker cited a Woodburn development that, they said, left a neighbour dealing with the relocation of a high-use power line and transformer.
Council considered a site-specific zoning change to allow non-medical cannabis sales in the existing Liquor Plus premises in Cadboro Bay Village. Councillors raised written concerns about the store’s location and proximity to a school; staff said those concerns had been considered, but noted that comparing one type of retail business with another is difficult. Council approved the zoning change through adoption, then asked staff to prepare a report for the next council after the election on what a district-wide cannabis retail policy would involve. The report is to cover approval steps and possible zoning changes; it does not itself approve or reject other stores.
Give the proposed zoning change for 2579 Cadboro Bay Road its first and second readings.
Give the proposed zoning change for 2579 Cadboro Bay Road its third reading.
Make the zoning change for 2579 Cadboro Bay Road final.
Ask staff to report on a possible policy for non-medical cannabis stores in Oak Bay, including how provincial and municipal approvals work and what zoning changes might be needed.
Council ended Michelle Hunt’s interim appointment as chief financial officer and appointed Jennifer Lockhart to the role. The mayor welcomed Lockhart, noting her 11 years of senior local-government experience, most recently with the District of Saanich.
End Michelle Hunt’s interim appointment and appoint Jennifer Lockhart as Oak Bay’s Chief Financial Officer.
The proposal was for a five-storey mixed-use building with 16 strata homes, including two intended for below-market sale through Habitat for Humanity or a similar organization, and ground-floor commercial space. The applicant said the fifth storey was necessary to make the project financially viable and described the site as well suited to fewer parking spaces because of nearby shops, services, transit and walking routes. Councillors questioned the parking study, stormwater plan, commercial use, affordable-housing arrangement, building setbacks and fire-service concerns about a single exit stair. A motion to refer the application back to staff for work on these and other issues failed. Council then denied the application in its current form, including the requested OCP change and related zoning and development permit applications.
Send the development applications back to staff and the applicant to work through concerns about access, parking, car-sharing, commercial space, affordable housing, waste collection, building design, and improvements to the street frontage and laneway.
Deny the proposed Official Community Plan change, zoning change, and development permit for 2090 Cadboro Bay Road.
The permit would allow an existing shed to remain despite its non-compliance with side-yard setback and building-separation rules. Staff described the variances as minor and said the shed was screened from the street and suited the home. No one spoke during the public input period, and council approved the permit.
Approve the requested development variance for the property at 3280 Uplands Road.
Council approved a variance for a new covered entrance on an older, legally non-conforming home and for retaining and repairing an existing greenhouse. It also approved the Uplands siting and design permit for the renovations. Councillors welcomed the modest changes, with one thanking the applicants for preserving the home.
Approve the requested development variance for the property at 3160 Exeter Road.
Approve the Uplands design and siting permit for the property at 3160 Exeter Road.
The application sought permission to keep a heat pump within the required setback beside a rear lane. Staff recommended approval if the owner installed a rear fence or provided a screening design acceptable to the planning director. The applicant said the unit had been placed there to keep the heating system efficient and preserve access and landscaping, and offered to provide a surround. Councillors discussed how heat pumps should be sited and screened in future, as well as the unit’s visibility and startup noise. Council approved the variance subject to the recommended screening condition.
Approve the requested variance for 1059 Roslyn Road, provided a rear fence is installed or a heat-pump screening design acceptable to the Director is submitted.
Staff reported that the rear wing of the protected heritage house had been removed on May 19, before council had approved the proposed agreement amendment. The owner had understood an earlier council direction to prepare bylaws as permission to proceed; staff issued a stop-work order after inspecting the site. Staff said the existing agreement remained in force and that, if the amendment were denied, council would need to direct staff to enforce it. Council gave the amendment bylaw first, second and third readings, with Councillor Braithwaite opposed. Staff expected the bylaw to return for adoption at a later meeting, likely July 20.
Give the proposed heritage agreement amendment its first and second readings.
Give the proposed heritage agreement amendment its third reading.
Council received a Songhees Nation request for support for the Island Elders Lunch, an event hosted for elders from other First Nations. Council then approved a $2,500 contribution from the Grant in Aid budget, matching the amount provided on previous occasions. Councillors also asked staff to seek more information about attendance and sponsorship options for future requests.
Routine: receive the Songhees Nation’s letter requesting sponsorship for the Island Elders Lunch.
Give the Songhees Nation $2,500 from the Grant in Aid budget to support the 2026 Island Elders Lunch.
Council received a request concerning the Mobile Youth Services Team (MYST), a regional team pairing a social worker with a police officer to work with at-risk youth. Councillor Paterson moved that the mayor write to the Capital Regional District Board, the Minister of Public Safety and the Solicitor General to affirm Oak Bay’s support for the integrated team, including its civilian counsellor position. Council supported the letter unanimously. The mayor said regional discussions were under way about how the counsellor role might be funded, after its funding had become uncertain.
Routine: receive the Pacific Centre Family Services Association’s letter about support for the Mobile Youth Services Team.
Ask the Mayor to write to the regional board and provincial officials confirming Oak Bay’s support for the integrated police unit, including its civilian counsellor position.
Routine: approve the agenda for this meeting.
Routine: adopt the minutes of the two June 22, 2026 Council meetings.
Routine: end the meeting at 9:14 p.m.