The survey, which will have a significant influence on Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 Infill Housing Strategy, has a poorly designed format and a biased question. It will be very difficult to draw meaningful, objective conclusions from the data.

Question 2 asks about the suitability of duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, detached suites (laneway houses, garden suites, cottages, carriage houses), heritage conversions, and large lot subdivisions in your neighbourhood. Then, in Question 5, you are asked what proposed zoning changes (reduce front and side yard setbacks, allow greater floor area ratios, and greater lot coverage) could be associated with building these housing types.

Clearly, Question 5 should be placed before Questions 2, 3, and 4 in the survey. Then the reader would know the possible relaxed zoning bylaws the housing types could be built in your neighbourhood, before they answer Questions 2, 3, and 4. The present survey ordering is a serious design flaw.

Question 7 asks whether to speed up rezoning applications. Option one is the current application process. In many cases, it is B次元官网网址渁 rezoning process with review by advisory committees and a public hearing before a bylaw can be considered by council.B次元官网网址� According to the authors, this B次元官网网址渃ould take 6-12 months.B次元官网网址�

Option two is a development-like process with advisory committee review and council considerations but no hearing and no bylaw. It B次元官网网址渨ould take 3-6 monthsB次元官网网址� in one scenario and B次元官网网址渨ould shorten to 2-4 monthsB次元官网网址� in another.

The word could suggests timing uncertainty in an Option one rezoning application, acceptance or rejection. However, the word would in Option two implies timing certainty about a zoning application, acceptance or rejection. Even though the design guidelines associated with Option two have not yet been written. A clear example of a question biased toward choosing Option 2.

Mike Wilmut

Oak Bay