Residents will soon have a chance to weigh in on a developer’s plans to renovate an historic Oak Bay home.
On June 9, council voted in favour of holding a public hearing in September so locals can voice their support or opposition to the 1558 Beach Dr. development, which would see the 0.2-acre property and 113-year-old building – often called the J.W. Morris House – change significantly.
After the hearing, council can choose to decline or approve the plans or ask the property's owner, Mike Miller, to alter them.
Currently, the house is divided into seven rental units. Miller hopes to add three more suites to the original home, convert the garage into a coach house and raise two single-family houses on the lot – work that would require a Heritage Revitalization Agreement and an Official Community Plan amendment.
“In this current housing environment, with the provincial legislation bearing down on us, I think this is the best possible option for this property,” Coun. Cairine Green said at the June 9 meeting.
Shortly after, Murdoch expressed his support for the move to engage the public.
“Overall, I'm supportive of this going towards a public hearing," he said. “[It is] certainly positive to see this old building refreshed and protected, adding housing, protecting rentals."
Miller first applied to renovate the home in March 2023, and Murdoch explained that, while the public has had an opportunity to voice their opinions about the proposed development over the past two years, the application has since changed.
“Some of the early comments from the public may no longer be connected to the current proposal,” he said.
The Oak Bay News reported in January of 2024 that public opposition to the proposal spurred an online petition calling on council “to preserve the original streetscape of the historic home at 1558 Beach Dr., restore the gardens and protect the iconic Garry oaks.
"For the benefit of the community, we support keeping this property unburdened by any development in front or behind this exceptional historic streetscape," added the petition.
As for why the application has been in limbo so long, Miller cited its complexity.
“It's a tricky application. It involves heritage, it involves official community plans – it involves so many factors," he said. “I think council as a whole has done a great job navigating this in the best interests of everyone, which is taking a little bit of time, but it doesn't mean that it's not worth it.”
