Picture Sooke OCP – Picture Sooke

An Official Community Plan (OCP) guides land use and development. All municipal policies, plans and regulations must be in alignment with the OCP. An OCP review is an opportunity for the District to ensure that the goals and objectives remain relevant.

HAVE 10 MINUTES?

Click the Phase 2 icons below to provide input on the emerging vision and growth scenarios:

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

Since an Official Community Plan is a long-term guiding document, it is important that the community is involved in developing the plan.

In the fall, these themes emerged from citizen visioning (phase one). This visioning will be combined with scientific data on current growth trends in our next phase of community consultation.

Phase two of the community conversation looked to confirm and apply the vision identified in the fall. Visual representation describing form and character, and mapping of three scenarios for the growth of Sooke over the next ten years will be shared with the community. The District received Sooke resident input, rating and comments, on the imagery and growth scenarios to answer:

Did we accurately capture the community’s vision and goals?
Where should our growth take place? Maps show three potential growth scenarios based on visioning input received in the fall and scientific data on community growth trends.
Where growth will be taking place, what should it look like? Rate and comment on imagery showing where growth occurs, what it could look like

Please check back for the “What we heard” report which will be available at the end of April.

What Sooke residents are saying

Select centre image to enlarge. Click through comments at your own pace.

"I'm surprised that I don't see anyone mention the idea that it is a horrible plan to have a major highway run right through the center of our town. We need to decide the boundaries of the town in a generous way and then run all the highway traffic along that freeway...with roads then coming down to the town from there for local access. If we don't think of this now, then the roundabout area (center of town is going to be chock ablock full. It's like building a beautiful building on no foundation. I'm surprised this is not even being discussed. That's what a long term plan is. Sooke will never have a nice green quality to it if we have a busy highway running right through the center of everything. Perhaps I have missed something? Perhaps I don't know about a new highway plan??? If not then our town will never be a people place. I thought that was the idea. Thanks so much for listening."

"Tiny homes can still generate a tax base; albeit an affordable option for many who need a start into the housing market. Retirees, like myself, are also keen to downsize., would contribute as well."

"We need another road. Not a straightening of the existing road. We don't need to wait until the road become untenable. We need to build it now and get ahead of the situation. Not so much to make the commute "faster", but maybe reduce the congestion so that it's the same time no matter the time."

"A great thing for visitors and residents would be to build that boardwalk from Whiffin spit to Sooke landing marina with future plans to end at Sooke river."

“I don’t understand why there are subdivisions that take out all the trees and take out the space people come to Sooke for.”

"Keep the community a community that still has small town values we choose to live out here for that reason please don't change this."

"I would love to see a beautiful tiny home village. Affordable, beautiful and energy efficient!"

"Sooke needs a better town core with water access, shops and restaurants."

“Most of the retail and customer service jobs are done by youth for $20,000 a year… how can we afford ‘affordable housing’ and cars?”

"Keep park space abundant and local, we live in Sooke for a reason, explore the outdoors and the clean fresh air controlled growth is key more Metchosin than Langford."

How can Sooke become a greener, more equitable place to live? "City composting facilities free end product to residents. Tidal turbines to generate power and share the cost savings with residents."

"I don't want Sooke to forever be a "bedroom" community. It existed as long as Victoria. Larger businesses, more business diversity and activity for its population. Think Nelson BC, think Squamish. They have much better shopping/stores/access and still maintain a vibrant community. 14,000 people and most things take an hour drive? see large numbers of delivery trucks from stores that could be coming from Sooke instead. Every time I see a delivery truck, I see potential tax revenue going to Langford instead."

“Transportation doesn’t match the current housing situation. If you don’t have a vehicle, you can’t get around.”

"We want to move away, but we want to come back to raise our families."

"Please protect and enhance air quality. Please protect and enhance all aspects of water quality, both fresh water and salt water. Please focus on healthy pedestrian corridors to access city parks and greenways. Please provide pedestrians with protection from all wheeled transportation. Too much municipal efforts everywhere are focused on the wars between motorists and cyclists. Please focus on pedestrians first and foremost. Do not favour one wheeled transportation mode over the other. Provide quality infrastructure for all wheeled transportation modes without compromising pedestrian mobility and safety. When I go to the City of Victoria I now have to watch for my safety and the safety of those I walk with not only from motor vehicles but especially bike lane users as they are now closer to the sidewalks than motor vehicles and those users are increasingly adopting the bad behaviours of roadway users."

"Transportation options and housing options must improve greatly for Sooke to grow successfully. Growth will be impossible to stop because of regional land values and the drawbridge and moat mindsets of the core cities. Sooke should study the City of Maple Ridge. Maple Ridge resembles Sooke more than any other Metro BC city I can think of with a provincial highway that slices right through and into the core of the city. Very much like Sooke, Maple Ridge is one hour from the Metro core and has one foot in the urban core (commuters) and one foot in the great outdoors. The set-ups of these two cities makes them almost twins ( One major roadway in and out, unable to compete with neighbouring powerhouse cities for industrial and commercial development and poor pedestrian infrastructure). Sooke has tons of potential but we must think outside the box as it were. Focus on the empty side of Highway 14 at opposite times of the day and use that under utilized transportation portion to our advantage otherwise the congested side of Highway 14 will worsen rapidly and degrade our quality of life rapidly as well."

"Sooke can become a greener and more equitable place to live and work by maximizing all choices for transportation and housing options. Provide maximum choices for both and you automatically increase the number and variety of people who will choose to make Sooke their hometown. Favour one over the other and you will create resentment and narrowmindedness. If everyone sees everyone else succeeding no matter their personal choice for transportation and housing then satisfaction will be high. Pedestrians, motorized and non-motorized wheeled transportation users, renters and home owners should be able to choose for themselves. Allow the market place to provide the options for housing. Be creative with housing. Sooke has tons of space for creative housing options. The City should plan and save ahead for all forms of transportation infrastructure. Please let us move around easily and allow us to choose how we want to do it. Carbon-free transportation is at our doorstep. Do not fall into the anti-car trap model please."

"Sooke still has a good quantity of natural forest streams and beaches that needs protection from development. We have enough land already designated for human development. Keep it that way."

"I would like to see old Sooke Trading Post site (corner of Otter Pt. Rd. & Ayre Rd). be utilized for a All Inclusive Community Centre which brings together volunteer seniors, kids/teens, young/older adults to share/build/learn important life skills (cooperation, kindness, communication, patience, perseverance, etc). from one another. This builds a strong community spirit."

"As Sooke’s population grows... our schools need to able to accommodate more students and our commercial/industrial sectors need to keep up. Consideration to dropping certain large scale development fees in return for companies building sidewalks etc."

"As Sooke grows our Pacific Coastal Flavour should indeed be maintained. Where we are is “Where the Rainforest meets the Sea.”

"For Sooke to be greener and more equitable, things like purchasing land like what is available beside Mariner’s Village at the South-East corner of Sooke Rd & Church Rd."

"A shuttle bus to and from Langford is necessary. Many people commute daily for work or for amenities such as healthcare and groceries. Shuttle busses would help diminish single use of cars. It saves gas and the environment. Being allowed to claim a tax deduction would be an incentive for workers to use this system, similar to the transit system on the Mainland."

"A "sooke days" festival once a year would be fun!"

"We need much more amenities in Sooke, with better hours of operation. Local shops are closed on Sundays and/or Mondays and are not feasible for those who work full-time. Family centres such as bowling alley, laser tag, movie theatre, indoor trampoline, gymnastics, cheerleading. There is nothing here. How about a gun club? or a proper clubhouse for the Sooke sailing club. Creating a resource page would be helpful, with advertising on how to find these types of resources."

"I would love to see the waterfront more accessible to residents. Extending the existing boardwalk to the empty lot across fromMariners village. A park by the huge Gary oak tree. Having a central greenspace would be a treasure for Sooke . One with water access. I would hate to see the area completely developed with taller housing units obscuring the gorgeous view we residents have even if its just driving by."

"Please protect the views of the Basin (going beyond physical access). These views are what make Sooke stunning and should not be blocked off and privatized."

"Population doesn't have to grow. Growth should only occur in zero-carbon developments, in small-scale polycentric design, and in cases where growth allows us to reduce GHG emissions (ie: through better transit access and 5-minute communities) and north of the Highway, with south of the highway protected from further development and made public access."

"We have an opportunity here where many other communities have failed. Secure parkland, bike and hiking trails, viewpoints, and conservation areas before housing development takes over."

"Sooke needs to balance caring for nature and development - from the sports box to new housing, we have to develop the community in a way that is in harmony with nature."

"Keep the small town rural community feeling by ensuring adequate local services for seniors and families and hold developers to a higher standard than what we are seeing. Cramming as many houses onto a piece of land only meets their needs for profit."

"Protect Sooke's identity as a seaside village destination and maintain this unique character. More promotion of local business and fewer chain stores."

"We need to continue to prioritize sidewalks, outdoor eating areas, walking paths and outdoor areas like Harbourview that are reserved for specific sports!"

"Increase density, give tax breaks to businesses that beautify our town and take on a greener approach."

"We must build more affordable housing. People are tucked away/hidden in RVs everywhere b/c rent is too high. Homes are being sold w/in a week."

"We need more roads, unfortunately. So many cars from Victoria driving through on route to Jordan River every weekend."

"We must have a "homeless shelter". I'm seeing more young adults trying to stay warm in the ATM areas."

"Tiny Homes allowed."

"We must accept this is NOT a quaint, small town anymore! We must build to prep for incoming."

"We need more roads so food can come in. The LACK/scarcity makes people shop in Westshore."

"We have so many Seniors. what is there for them?"

"Maintain a balance of housing and nature. Stop clearing cutting and cramming houses onto small lots. Let people have yards with character, increase the lot sizes and save the trees. Give children a safe place to play and explore."

"Consider a tiny home village on the other side of the old John Phillips Golf Course. This area has been vacant for years. Imagine tiny houses on small lots, a community garden, gathering place, play area for children and walking trail around the perimeter. Work with the surroundings, leave the trees, landscape with native plants and leave the stream area natural."

"In addition to inclusion of all ages, races and abilities in Sooke; there should be inclusion of our native floral and fauna. The natural beauty of Sooke is what makes it special."

"We love the small town feel, the beautiful natural setting, the quaint shops, and friendly people."

"As Sooke's population grows, there needs to be ways to easy the heavy traffic."

"We love the small town feel, the beautiful natural setting, the quaint shops, and friendly people. With the shift towards an older mean age in our population predicted, Sooke definitely needs more care home facilities and improved inaccessibility access."

How can Sooke become a greener, more equitable place to live? "More affordable housing for renters and first home buyers. A water park for the children. A program to help people manage and conserve water for their gardens; including rainwater storage. A new, larger, more accessible and flexible Community Center is sorely needed."

":: Farmland needs to be protected for our food security. Are there residents who would love to have a garden but have no space? Are there farmers struggling and would like to share some of their farm space? Could we create a database to match these people?"

"Propose an amendment to the building code to include solar panels on all new construction. For residential structures also include a cistern to collect rainwater to water your garden."

"To not have another access to Sooke Sooke will become an unsafe place to live.....traffic build up, lack of access for emergency vehicles are the future if Sooke if a second road access is not available and the population growth makes the situation worse."

"A medical center for emergency is needed...VGH is just to far."

"The out laying areas are ignored....the focus needs to expand....I.e. Billing Spit Road with million dollar homes ignored for clean up after wind storms the parking area full of puddles and the trees being uprooted laying across the beach because there is no retainer wall (the homes all have retainer walls but not the area operated by the District..mud packed road sides no lines on the road .....quit a disgrace for a District that seems to pride itself on looking nice.....Glenidle, Kaltasin, Billing Spit are treated as if they are not a part of the District....how about some sewage service."

"Enjoying biking to Sooke on Galloping Goose, learning new bike trails in our visit here. Improvements could be made especially on Sooke Rd #14 to safely link downtown Sooke to these trails."

As Sooke's population grows, what must change? "Sooke Rd, especially downtown Sooke traffic is congested. Somehow traffic needs to be redirected to reduce congestion."

What impact will my voice have?

Your voice will inform the OCP and guide the land use and development of Sooke over the next 10 years. Land use and development impact many aspects of daily life from the types of housing available, how we get around the community and what amenities are available to enjoy, learn more.