On April 1, View Royal staff broke down the survey results that will help shape the township’s Official Community Plan (OCP) – a document that, once refreshed, will provide a roadmap for managing growth and development in the community for the next 20 years.
The Vision and Guiding Principles Survey was available between Jan. 24 and Feb. 18 to anyone who lives, works, or plays in View Royal. The questionnaire asked for opinions about community planning and challenges the township could face over the next 25 years.
Of the 130 responses, 88 per cent came from View Royal residents. The majority (31 per cent) of respondents were between the ages of 35 to 44, and about one quarter of them moved to the West Shore community in the last five years.
When asked what would help ensure that View Royal remains a great place to live and visit over the next two decades, respondents' top response was preserving and/or expanding View Royal parks, trails and green spaces.
The top things ranked as missing in the community were commercial services, a town centre, recreational centres and areas, diverse and affordable housing and meeting places.
Between now and 2050, View Royal's most significant challenges were identified as traffic congestion, managing growth, addressing housing needs, accommodating population increases, and responding to climate change.
When asked what they would change about the township, respondents most commonly cited improvements to transportation infrastructure—including better sidewalks, reduced traffic congestion, enhanced walkability and bikeability, and smoother traffic flow.
Respondents were also asked to place pins and leave comments on a map of View Royal to highlight areas they would like to see preserved, enhanced and changed.
Thetis Lake, Portage and View Royal parks were marked as places to preserve. Some expressed concerns that the Watkiss Way and Helmcken Road, Admirals Road and Island Highway and Helmcken Road and TransCanada Highway intersections aren't safe for pedestrians and cyclists. Others suggested that the Island Highway and Helmcken Road intersection is underutilized and that a grocery store or cafe should be built there.
Staff also broke down the results of another youth-targeted survey, which received 86 responses from 10- to 14-year-old kids, 61 per cent of whom live in View Royal.
Results revealed the young respondents think more shopping centres, restaurants, and parks would improve View Royal. In terms of types of housing offered, they would like to see more single-family homes, co-ops and apartment buildings. And if the young respondents could be mayor in 20 years, their biggest changes would be to housing, parks and restaurants.
The township expects to finish updating its OCP by 2027 or 2028. Currently, the revamp is in the first of three phases, focused on reviewing View Royal's vision statement, goals, housing policy, land-use designations and special-planning areas. Phase one is expected to be complete by December 31, 2025.
