Council approved a development permit with variances for 2839 and 2845 Cedar Hill Road through the consent agenda, and adopted an amendment to the Development Cost Charges Bylaw. The main disagreement concerned the 2026–2028 interim housing goals: two councillors opposed them, and one said the City was not working from accurate population data. Council also endorsed the approach to its next 10-year Housing Strategy. It then voted to move into a closed meeting for land, intergovernmental, law-enforcement and employee-relations matters.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
Council approved the consent agenda, which included the April 23 and May 21 meeting minutes and the development permit with variances for 2839 and 2845 Cedar Hill Road in Oaklands. The chair said the Cedar Hill application had been carried unanimously at Committee of the Whole; a related motion to explore additional fire safety for the second block had also passed there.
Agreement
No items were removed from the consent agenda, and the chair declared it approved unanimously.
Routine: approve the minutes from the April 23 and May 21 Council meetings. Also approve a development permit for the proposed project at 2839 and 2845 Cedar Hill Road, with specified zoning exceptions and plan changes, and have staff discuss additional fire-safety measures for Block 2 with the applicant.
Official wording: That the following Consent Agenda items be approved:
F.1 Minutes from the Council (to follow COTW) Meeting held April 23, 2026
That the minutes from the Council (to follow COTW) meeting held April 23, 2026 be approved.
F.2 Minutes from the Council (to follow COTW) Meeting held May 21, 2026
That the minutes from the Council (to follow COTW) meeting held May 21, 2026 be approved.
G.1.a.a 2839 and 2845 Cedar Hill Road: Development Permit with Variances Application No. 01142 (Oaklands)
That Council, after giving notice, consider the following motion:
1. “That Council authorize the issuance of Development Permit with Variances No. 01142 for 2839 and 2845 Cedar Hill Road, in accordance with plans submitted to the Planning and Development department and date stamped on March 6, 2026, subject to:
a. The proposed development meeting all City zoning bylaw requirements, except for the following variances:
i. increasing the maximum lot coverage from 45% to 47.27%
ii. decreasing the minimum landscaped area from 149.45m² to 58.51m²
iii. reducing the front yard (Cedar Hill Road) setback from 4m to 2.98m
iv. reducing the flanking side yard (Westall Connector Pathway) setback from 2m to 1.72m for the portion of proposed Unit 304 fronting the pathway only
v. reducing the side yard (west) setback from 4m (primary façades below three storeys) to 2m for building block 1 and from 4m to 3.42m for building block 2
vi. reducing the rear yard setback (for a corner lot) from 5m to 2.39m for building block 2 and from 5m to 2.45m for building block 3
vii. reducing the required number of short-term bicycle parking spaces from 18 stalls to 9 stalls.
b. Provision of revised plans to correct the following technical items:
i. removal of the proposed lighting within the public pathway and instead providing lighting within the private site along the fence line fronting the Westall Connector Pathway
ii. update the landscape plan to include the fencing with gates for the proposed fencing along the Westall Connector Pathway and building block 3.
iii. Further attempts, to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning and Development and/or the Director of Engineering, to direct runoff to green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to reduce flows and improve water quality entering the creek, and to take a green streets approach to infiltrate and treat road runoff in boulevards.
2. That:
a. The DP lapses two years from the date of this resolution if construction is not substantially started within this timeframe; and
b. The approval of this DP lapses two years from the date of this resolution if the DP is not issued within this timeframe.”
Direct staff to have further discussions with the applicant to explore additional fire safety for the proposed Block 2 at 2839 and 2845 Cedar Hill Road, to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning and Development and/or the Fire Chief
Council considered the 2025 annual review in parts. The first recommendation had already passed unanimously at Committee of the Whole, so Council did not vote on it again. Council approved the interim housing goal posts for 2026–2028, then endorsed the approach to developing the next 10-year Housing Strategy. A councillor who opposed both latter recommendations said the City was not working from accurate population data.
Agreement
Council received the annual review for information; the first recommendation had passed unanimously at Committee of the Whole.
The interim housing goal posts for 2026–2028 were approved.
Council endorsed the proposed approach to the next 10-year Housing Strategy.
Disagreement
Councillors Hammond and Gardiner opposed the interim housing goal posts. Councillor Gardiner said the City was not working from accurate population data.
Councillor Gardiner opposed endorsing the approach to the next 10-year Housing Strategy, citing the same concern about population data.
Carried, unanimousItem G.1.a.b
Routine: receive the annual review of Victoria’s Housing Strategy for information, with no further action requested by this motion.
Official wording: That Council receive the Victoria Housing Strategy Annual Review 2025 report for information.
Council voted to close the meeting under the Community Charter for matters involving employee relations, land, law enforcement and confidential intergovernmental negotiations. The chair said Council would take a lunch break and return at 1 p.m. for the closed agenda.
Agreement
The motion to meet in private was declared unanimous.
Close the meeting to the public to discuss the listed confidential matters: employee relations, land matters, law enforcement, and confidential negotiations with a provincial or federal government or a third party.
Official wording: That Council convene a closed meeting that excludes the public under Section 90 of the Community Charter for the reason that the following agenda items deal with matters specified in Sections 90(1) and/or (2) of the Community Charter, namely:
Section 90(1) A part of a council meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to or is one or more of the following:
Section 90(1)(c) labour relations or other employee relations;
Section 90(1)(e) the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality;
Section 90(1)(f) law enforcement, if the council considers that disclosure could reasonably be expected to harm the conduct of an investigation under or enforcement of an enactment;
Section 90(2) A part of a council meeting must be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to one or more of the following:
Section 90(2)(b) the consideration of information received and held in confidence relating to negotiations between the municipality and a provincial government or the federal government or both, or between a provincial government or the federal government or both and a third party.