Special Committe of the Whole Meeting

November 1 is an odd time to have a meeting for the COTW, but here's the agenda anyways. The only item is City of Victoria Departmental Strategic Plan Response 2004 with subtopics of 'Completed Prjects as of October 2004, and In Process and Upcoming Projects.

Anybody know what this one is about?

Downtown Victoria 2020: Improving Downtown Transportation

Downtown Victoria 2020: Improving Downtown Transportation, the new 2020 report is now up on their site. It'll take me some time to digest this. My commentary on this one will be up shortly.

City of Victoria - Agendas for October 28

Agendas for the morning meeting of the Committee of the Whole, and for Council are up.

As usual, the real work is being done in the CotW, with the Council approving the stuff that's already been worked out, except of course for those controversial zoning changes, such as the one for 138 Michigan Street. The silly people made a house into a duplex and forgot the parking. To make it legal they need to get approval for a parking spot in the front.

Council will also approve a fair number of new designations of property as heritage. The plumbing law discussed at a recent CotW will also head into third reading.

I am somewhat interested in what they plan on doing to the Upper Cook Street Are. They plan on encouraging a more street-friendly form of mixed commerical-residential development. Partially because I'd like to know what they mean by the Upper Cook Street Area, and partially because I'm curious as to what they mean by that phrase.

October 21 Committee of the Whole agenda

It's up, the weeks agenda. As usual the interesting bits are in the closed session, with an Arena Update, and also something about buying 182A Wharf St.

The public session will include some signage variances, a plumbing bylaw, some bylaw variations for implementation of the Harbour Plan, 2001, along with some other proclamation type things.

Business Improvement Association Documents

Here's a bit more information on the proposed BIA that is being proposed. I notice that the budget seems to be growing already....

BIA First set of documents
Public Meeting Info
This was the information that was stapled to the walls at the public meeting just prior to the presentation to the Commitee of the Whole meeting
Original Budget
This was actually the second budget, as the first time it was brought up it was only going to be about $350,000

BIA Second set of documents
Letter To Council
The cover letter for the presentation to the Commitee of the Whole
Final Draft of Constitution
The proposed constitution for the new BIA
Map
The proposed boundaries for the new BIA
Presentation to Council
Includes the latest proposed budget

Downtown Victoria 2020: Downtown as a Place of Learning

Downtown Victoria 2020: Downtown as a Place of Learning is the newest report from the 2020 group. I'm beginning to see why the people involved are pushing this. It's just a glimpse at this point, but here's a couple of quotes that point the way:

A variety of non-profit and market housing, new purpose-built and in converted heritage buildings, including live/work to accommodate artists, teachers and students.

A civic based program of creative bylaw and zoning instruments, land assembly, facility creation and improvements, direct grant and other aids to support and sustain the formal and non-formal learning sector base for a learning city.

Oct 14th City Hall Agendas

The agenda for the Thursday evening city council meeting has been posted. Routine zoning adjustments for the most part;

The
Committee of the Whole agenda has also been posted. This has slightly more interesting stuff. There is going to be some information in camera about the arena. There is also a report from the 2020 committee, and another session about the proposed renewal of the BIA. Hmmmm. Might have to go.

October 7th Commitee of the Whole Agenda

The Agenda for the October 7th Commitee of the Whole is up now.

A few closed bits, a few proclamations, some small zoning changes, and a session on the harbour. Nothing overly interesting to my eye, but you never know...

A neat urban design blogs

City Comforts Blog is a very nice blog on urban design. I like the slight libertarian cant to it. I've also bookmarked another site with a bunch of blogs to go through....

Council Minutes for Sept 30th

The Minutes for the September 30th city council meeting have been posted. Nothing earth shattering, just the usual small bylaw changes, a proclamation for International Eradicate Poverty Week. There seems to be some more noise about the inner harbour (pun intended).