Sooke's Innovative Town Centre Takes Shape

In 2001 the Sooke Official Community Plan set a mandate to develop long term planning objectives. This vision was built upon by the District of Sooke Design Guidelines (2006) and later the Sooke Town Centre Plan (2009). Sooke has experienced sustained increased growth as nearby Victoria and Langford have developed.
Using smart-growth principles and sustainability goals, the community has been able to guide its new growth to realize long-term planning. Integral to the Town Centre Plan vision is the establishment of a Town Centre that is "a well defined, compact, mixed-use ‘village core’.
The primary objectives of the Town Centre Plan are to develop the area south of Sooke Road, establishing a new main street that links to both Sooke Road and the town’s waterfront. Development around this new main street, provisionally named ‘Waterview Street’, will see predominately townhouses and apartment buildings mixed with pedestrian friendly commercial and public development.
Together they will form a new main street with a wide promenade, primarily four storey commercial residential development, public uses such as art and cultural facilities, a public plaza, relocated library, and a farmers market.
Engagement and Governance
Envisioning Sooke’s Town Centre has been a community effort. In April 2008 a charrette was organized, bringing together representatives from various local organizations and property owners who participated in a one-day brainstorming session to generate ideas and support for the new Town Centre.
The results of the charrette were presented to the Sooke Council in 2008, along with a Town Centre Assessment, prepared by Dennis Carlsen Consulting, D’Ambrosio Architecture and Urbanism, and Boulevard Transportation Group.
Policy Framework
The District of Sooke Design Guidelines (2006) and the Sooke Town Centre Plan (2009) form the basic policy framework to guide the development of the Town Centre area. Furthermore, council has adopted a variety of other policy tools to encourage the desired environmentally-conscious development, brought together in the Sooke Town Centre Revitalization Bylaw, 2009.
With the bylaw, council may offer significant financial incentives for developments that are commercial, high density (50 units/hectare), LEED certified, and eligible housing (not-for-profit and affordable housing). Eligible developments are offered:
- Revitalization Property Tax Exemptions - municipal property tax reductions for a maximum of three years.
- Building Permit Fee Reductions - 50% to 100% reductions.
- Development Cost Charge reductions (for wastewater and road DCCs only) - 30% to 100% reductions, excluding commercial developments.
In addition to the above incentives, the bylaw established the Capital Improvement Financing Reserve Program (CIFRP). The District of Sooke will deposit any municipal property taxes generated from new developments in the Town Centre area (as of 2009) and match that amount through other revenue sources. All capital deposited into the CIFRP will subsequently be invested in projects within the Town centre Area, such as cycling paths.
In 2010, Official Community Plan was updated, incorporating a section on the Town Centre revitalization project. See ‘Resources’ below for further information regarding zoning bylaw development.)
Implementation
Looking toward 2050, the Town Centre Revitalization has an extensive timeframe and is conceived of in phases, the first one ending in 2020. By 2050, it is expected that the Town Centre will accommodate approximately 1,400 residents.
Beyond the ‘phased’ approach, the District has set strategic short term goals. The Strategic Plan 2009-2011 outlines numerous actions that relate to the Town Centre area, including sidewalk improvements and a review of the Sooke Zoning Bylaw.
Results
Numerous projects begun since the Town Centre Plan was ratified, all working towards the overall goals of the plan. With funding from the Province’s ‘Spirit Squares Program’ Ed MacGregor park, located in the Town Centre Area, will see important public space revitalization. On a larger scale, the LEED targeted ‘Mariner’s Village’ is the first major development in the Town Centre area, providing residential and commercial units, a public boardwalk, and a medical facility. This development has benefited from the Sooke Town Centre Revitalization Bylaw, 2009.
Resources
Regional Charrettes: UBC Design Centre for Sustainability. Accessed at: http://www.sxd.sala.ubc.ca/16_reg_charrette.htm
Critical Policies
- Sooke Town Centre Plan (2009)
- Bylaw No. 408, Sooke Town Centre Revitalization Bylaw, 2009
- District of Sooke Design Guidelines (2006)
- Official Community Plan (2010)
- District of Sooke Strategic Plan 2009-2011