Rockland Neighbourhood Association
Meeting of Board of Directors
May 13th, 2003
Friends of Government House Meeting Room

Directors present - Catherine Spencer, Brian Allen, Dave Clark, Doris Schuh,
Susan Bartol-Drinker, Leida Marie Grant, Helmut Hissen, Leigh Large, Jane Lunt, Gordon McAllister Ethelyn McInnes-Rankin, Frank Ryan, Pamela Tobin, Walter Yeo.

Regrets - Honya Androsoff, Kathryn LeSueur, Cecilia Peters
Guest:  Councillor, Chris Coleman

The meeting commenced at 7:30 PM

1. Approval of agenda

2. Motion:  (we/gm) to approve the minutes of meeting of April 12, 2003
Discussion: spell check reorganisation - carried

3. Councillor's report - Chris Coleman
∑ letter from Brian Sikstrom to Chris Rowe re: 1322 Rockland - possible  recommendation that the property be designated as a Development  Permit Area (DPA), to ensure the design and landscaping are subject to Council approval.
Applicants for a DPA are recommended to consult with neighbourhood associations.   ACTION:  RNA must ensure that we are kept in the loop.
∑ Tax levy 5% (correction over last months estimate)
∑  3 Garry Oaks in Rockland Neighbourhood Garden - some feedback on planned tree surgery.
∑ 910 Richmond - wants to subdivide their panhandle lot.  A board of variance issue, not for council consideration.  New BC legislation will give local power to appoint the members of the Board of Variance
∑ Road closures - survey of affected residents in Jubilee area.
      One letter came from a Rockland Resident.
∑ Greenways plan - council set up an advisory committee to look at a human powered transportation network. In the plan Rockland Avenue is designated as a pedestrian thoroughfare.
∑ Dogs-off leash issue – Chris Coleman has been assigned this file. Dallas Road is currently the only designated area.  Required are 6 or 7 areas, well distributed.  Edmonton has a system with supervision and strong enforcement.  Citizen K-9 is the advocacy group.  Sporting associations are another group of stakeholders.  Bend, Oregon - has time and space zoning within a fenced off area for unleashed dogs.

∑ Moss Street Paint-In.  Rockland participates.  Possibility for a kiosk to talk about  Rockland.  External Marketing opportunity on the third Saturday in July.
∑ Walkabout on Warren Gardens.  Bylaw enforcement issues raised by one long-time resident prompted a general review of bylaw enforcement - hedge height, mechanical work, activity bordering on commercial.  Some good neighbour facilitation. Unenforced bylaws are sometimes used as a lever for strata title disputes.
∑ Noise bylaw coming to the Committee of the Whole, May 15th.  The "Right to quiet" society is concerned with creeping increase in ambient noise, leafblowers, for example.

4. Correspondence:
∑ Cary bulletin - Friends of Government House Gardens
∑ Strata title issue (out of area)
∑ City council minutes
∑ Amendments to the small lot regulations
∑ email from Mike Leskew re: Garry Oak in Rockland Neighbourhood Garden.

5. Committee reports
a) C.A.N. - Wayne Pooachoff - seeks to co-ordinate a meeting between CAN  landuse committee members and City staff.
     Gail Price-Douglas - defined base funding, based on population - down  to
$0.47 from $0.50 per capita.  Matching and celebration grants are separate.
CAN no longer has insurance for facility-based associations but retains insurance for RNA and other Associations without community centres.

b) Garden  - Volunteer work continuing on a bi-weekly basis - more than 60 volunteer hours this spring!  Thanks to Janet Simpson and Ethelyn McInnes-Rankin and all the volunteers.  City responded to a neighbour's enquiry about a potentially hazardous Big-leaf Maple on the west edge of the garden.  City staff evaluated the tree and removed it after consulting with Dave Clark.  At the same time they evaluated the Garry Oak on the north-west corner and wished to remove it also.  Following discussions with garden committee members and some feedback from Rockland residents, City staff trimmed two low branches that were close to power lines and will engage an independent arborist to recommend steps that can be taken to improve the tree's health and stability.

c) Graffiti - graffiti is increasing -  please be vigilant!

d) Land Use - committee meeting heard a presentation for the proposed development at 1322 Rockland.  Density suggested 85 units, 3 storeys in one part. Coach house will be preserved.  All traffic, save garbage pick up, will use the Rockland entrance.  Architectural design has cost more than $30,000 to date.


ACTION: - write a non-committal letter to the city, acknowledging that the committee heard the presentation at their April 30th meeting and providing a chronology of meetings held to date.

There is a meeting scheduled for all Rockland residents to hear and discuss this proposed development on May 26th at St. Matthias Church Hall.
 
Discussion: Premature for public meeting at this stage?

- there are two questions - 1) details of design and access; and 2) is an 85 unit care facility the right sort of development for the Rockland neighbourhood?
Have to answer the second before you get into details on the first question but there is currently no consensus at the committee level.

Planning 101 workshop proposed 4 options: 1) endorsement, 2) modification,
3) approve with conditions and 4) reject.  Could ask people to vote on these 4 options.
 
GM stated that he and friends met yesterday and discussed a prototype set of evaluation criteria, based on the Rockland plan and bylaws.  He suggested that the Land Use committee could look at these evaluation criteria to determine their usefulness.  
He stated that current R1B zoning sets a maximum of 20 residents for rest homes.  Also, once designated a rest home, no further exterior alterations are permitted.

    Discussion:  
- the set of evaluation criteria are not useful because they are subjective and are amenable to manipulation or exploitation.  Vancouver Island Health Authority currently subsidizes 120 beds and is purchasing additional beds.  They are aware of this initiative.  If any are to be subsidized, this must be negotiated with the VIHA.  If this proposal is rejected, it may be the last chance to have a Seniors' facility in Rockland.

- the evaluation criteria could be used as a checklist and as the basis for identifying differences of opinion.  They could serve as an introduction to constructive dialogue.
 
- a process for public participation is more important than the opinions of
board and/or committee members.

-  suggestion for 3 systems/philosophies. 1) RNA documents could be used as the basis for rational analysis.  2) Site specific zoning, and 3) Official Community Plans (OCP).  City of Victoria does not recognise neighbourhood plans as bylaws.  
City won't support an integrated planning team.
Evaluation tool would have to be modified to recognise the higher strategic plans.
OCP, regional growth strategy, etc.

(Chris Coleman left the meeting at 8:50)

Committee of the Whole will deal with the land use issue first, not the details of
architecture or impacts on traffic, etc.  

ACTION: consensus is that the public meeting should go ahead.  Simple notice for the meeting will be distributed all Rockland residents.  If there is supplemental information available, it could be posted to the RNA website.

ACTION: Helmut Hissen will work with Brian Allen and with Don Hamilton to get information on the web if it becomes available.  

As there will be no meeting of the Land Use committee prior to May 26th, an extra  meeting was suggested.  Possibly include the board members.  

Report on "Planning 101" workshop: 5 members of the Land Use committee attended. Good value, good information.  There may be a follow up meeting of all land use chairs to discuss points raised at the workshop.  If that larger meeting is slow to get organised, RNA may host a less ambitious follow up.

Motion:  (HH/SBD) that RNA host a meeting for all 14 land use chairs and City planning staff to discuss actions.  Discussion followed.
Amendment:  (HH and SBD) - as hosts, we invite all land use committee members from RNA .  Amendment Carried.     Amended Motion Carried

e) Strategic Planning
Follow up on options for facilitation of a strategic planning workshop:
Dyan Dunsmoor Farley - cost 750 to $1500.  
Gail Price-Douglas has no source of money for this project.
Karen Ramsay, Community Planning Department, may have some funds that can be applied.

(Dave Clark left the meeting)

Motion to adjourn.  Carried.

Date and place of the next meeting:

June 11th, 2003 7:30 at the Friends of Government House volunteers' centre.