While I and several of my neighbours dislike many of the big box houses now being built in Oak Bay, I appreciate that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
Nevertheless, most of the new big box houses being built are simply too big for their setting.
Big box houses lack respect for the character of the neighbourhood. They lack respect for the immediate neighbours by towering over them and eliminating trees and shrubs. And they lack respect for the goals of the official community plan, plus the stated goals of elected officials aiming to preserve the character of the community.
Big box houses will surely devalue neighbourhoods and individual properties over time.
Most Oak Bay residents chose their neighbourhood because of the ambiance that big box houses are now destroying.
Current lot coverage allowances were apparently increased in recent years, perhaps for good reasons, but this is being abused and is now aggravating the problem.
Coverage allowance should be reduced to help preserve the flavour of Oak Bay.
Let’s restore respect.
Alan Little
Oak Bay