Rockland Neighbourhood Association

Meeting of the Board of Directors

1401A Rockland Avenue

January 14, 2015

Present:  Bob June (BJ), Dave Clark (DC), Vanessa Dingley (VD), Ian Mayhill (IM), Sue Simpson (SS), Ben Isitt (BI), Norman Clark (NC), Janet Simpson (JS), Stephen Roughley (SR), Marc Hunter (MH), John Edwards (JE)

Absent: Victoria City Council

Invited Guest:  Dave McWalter

Meeting called to order at 19:02

·       Agenda

o   Motion to approve agenda as amended (IM/SR)

o   Carried

·       Minutes of December 10, 2014

o   Motion to approve (VD/SR)

o   Carried

·       Councillor’s Report

o   There was no report from Council

o   The new liaison to Council is expected to be announced January 22.

·       Business arising

o   AGM planning

§  Nominating Committee has been determined

·       Eileen Nurmi

·       Ethelyn McInnes-Rankin

·       Lloyd Lollila

§  Action:  Those standing for election are requested to submit bios to SS by January 23

§  Action:  Committee reports to be submitted to SS by January 23

§  Focus of the meeting will be green space and its preservation

·       Presentation by Roger Stevens showing area using LIDAR

·       DC will discuss Environment Committee

·       Land use discussion focusing on moving R1A zoning to R1G (differing in

site coverage and floor space ratio)

·       Following the presentations, there will be time for discussion about issues related to green space

§  The AV person at the church will be needed for both audio and video

§  Advertising

·       Subcommittee formed to develop advertising strategy

o   SR and DC

o   Action:  NC will provide information regarding communication with residents at Devon properties

§  Motion to allocate $800 (8 hours @ $75/hour and taxes) for graphic representation of R1A to R1G zoning by Alleycat (BJ/SS)

·       Carried

o   Letter to Council regarding alternatives to rezone from R1A to R1B            

§  Action:  DC has formulated a draft; IM is formalizing

o   Review of action on Tree Protection By-law

§  DC talked to Brooke Daitl (Parks Dept)

§  Per Mr. Daitl, there is no formal process to review this by-law; however, all feedback is kept

o   Summer dog show

§  Sub-committee formed to develop this idea

·       MH will lead; BJ and VD will help

·       Action:  MH will submit a brief on this topic to the newsletter

o   Summer social at GH

§  No update

o   Neighbourhood liaison

§  See note under Councillor’s report

o   Ideas for Safe Streets and Active Transportation

§  IM and JS attended VCAN meeting

§  IM, DC and NC have developed priorities of RNA

§  Motion to send a letter to the city detailing three neighbourhood-wide priorities (cycling, pedestrian and resources/neighbourhood participation) (JS/DC)

·       Carried

·       Action:  IM will write the letter

o   Feedback on Strategy

§  Four people provided feedback

§  Action:  DC will revise as appropriate per feedback and re-issue as final

o   Communication strategy to engage younger constituents

§  Ideas were discussed

§  Work on this initiative continues

·       Committees

o   Received written report from Welcoming

§  Four visits made in the last month

§  VD indicated that the pamphlet is progressing; proof has been reviewed and requires correction

o   Land Use

§  1745 Rockland

·       Application sent back to applicant by PLUC

·       Applicant will meet with local residents

§  AGGV

·       Public meeting will be held on Jan 22

·       750 notices were sent

§  1070 Joan

·       Plans have been slightly revised

·       Applicant is working to protect the mature cypress in front of porte cochere

§  1381 Craigdarroch

·       No activity since the public meeting

§  1082 Richmond

·       Council has signed off

§  Miscellaneous

·       The Land Use chairs from the other neighbourhood associations met

o   Seven of the 11 chairs attended and agreed that Council needs to direct resources to implement the Local Area Plan (LAP) more quickly

o   To that end, a letter requesting resources to be added to the current budget will be sent to the City

·       BJ indicated that information was shared indicating that the Fort Street/Oak Bay/Stadacona Village will be rolled out in the 2018-2022 time frame

o   The remainder of Rockland will not be addressed until the 2022-2042 time frame

o   Environment

§  Kathie Cross, Central Middle School, reports that their Greenways project, initially supported by RNA, is moving forward

·       $7500 in new funding has been received and a landscape architect has been hired; the project is expected to be complete by September, 2015

§  RNA hopes to generate a Greenways project in 2015

§  1540 Despard connects Despard to Montgomery

·       Julie McDougall (Parks) is working to determine if this lot is suitable for donated park space

·       Neighbours have expressed concern over other possible uses of this property

o   Communication

§  Deadline for next newsletter is Jan 16

§  Action:  DC and SR will submit information on upcoming AGM

o   Membership

§  Two new memberships received 

o   Traffic

§  No report

o   Social

§  No report

o   Garden

§  The Oak Bay Native Garden is now enclosed by a fence

§  The consensus among the RNA Board was that the entire perimeter of the Rockland Native Garden should not be fenced

·       However, fencing of a portion might be an acceptable alternative to provide a deer free area for the more sensitive plants

·       Communications             

o   No letters, e mails, phone calls to report

·       New Business

o   No new business

The meeting adjourned at 20:40.

The next board meeting will be March 18, 2015.