Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations Update
Have Your Say on Parking and Loading in Saanich
The Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations Update survey ran until March 8, 2026. The survey supports the District’s comprehensive update to off-street parking and loading regulations.
Your input will help the District better understand today’s off-street parking and loading experiences, challenges and needs for people who live, work, study, or access services in Saanich, and will inform updates to how much off-street parking and loading should be required in new and existing developments.
Project Background
The District of Saanich is updating its Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations to reflect modern transportation trends, support sustainable development, and align with housing and mobility goals in the Official Community Plan. The project is currently in Phase 2 Research and Engagement.
Contact Us
Adam Smith (Project Manager, Community Planning)
E-mail: off-streetparking@saanich.ca
Helpful Links
- New Policy Framework for Parking Regulations (March 2024)
- Interim Amendments to the Zoning Bylaw (Fall 2024)
- Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations Update - Terms of Reference (February 2025)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements Flow Chart
- Communications Plan and Engagement Strategy
- Zoning Bylaw
Project Deliverables
Phase 2
Project Overview
The purpose of this project is to comprehensively update and modernize the District of Saanich’s off-street parking and loading regulations based on a review of current best practices, and technical analysis. The goal is to develop a technical and regulatory framework that aligns with Saanich’s strategic policies and objectives, as articulated in the OCP and Strategic Plan.
Modernizing off-street parking and loading regulations will help to reduce the need for parking variances, generate cost savings during development that is often passed on to owners/tenants, improve development application processing times, and support broader community goals around housing affordability, sustainable transportation, and GHG emissions reduction.
Various public engagement methods will be provided throughout all phases of the project, including public surveys, intercept surveys, stakeholder workshops, and website updates.
Project Goals
1. Support the efficient and cost-effective delivery of diverse and affordable housing types.
2. Support business growth and sustainable economic development in employment areas while optimizing land use and the District of Saanich’s transportation network.
3. Reduce development processing times and the number of variance requests.
4. Support the District of Saanich’s mode shift targets, prioritizing walking, cycling, micromobility, and public transit.
5. Reduce GHG emissions and total vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) within the District of Saanich.
Project Timeline
Next Steps
Work has already begun on a comprehensive review of the relevant regulatory and policy documents, as well as a technical review of best practices. Key deliverables within Phase 2 will include a Final Background Technical Report and an Engagement Summary Report.
Community engagement will take place during Phase 2, beginning in early 2026. Sign-up on HelloSaanich and follow the project to stay informed and receive updates on the project status and for opportunities to participate.
Phases
Phase 2: Research and Engagement
The purpose of the Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulation Update is to comprehensively update and modernize the District of Saanich’s off-street parking and loading regulations based on a review of current best practices, technical analysis, and stakeholder and public engagement. The goal is to develop a technical and regulatory framework that aligns with Saanich’s strategic policies and objectives, as articulated in the OCP and Strategic Plan.
Phase 1, the Project Initiation and Background Review phase, was primarily focused on conducting background research necessary to produce two documents:
- A Communications Plan and Engagement Strategy
- A Draft Background Technical Report.
The Communications Plan and Engagement Strategy sets the foundation for informed public and stakeholder participation in the process and is designed to collect and share information, as well as to raise awareness among stakeholders and the public about the project.
A thorough review of both provincial and District of Saanich regulatory and policy documents will serve to guide the project. This research will include a detailed review of the latest research, trends, and best practices pertaining to off-street parking requirements and transportation demand management.
Phase 2 Research and Engagement will combine information sharing with broad public engagement through an online survey and targeted outreach (focus groups and intercept surveys) to understand needs and lived experience around parking and loading. Results will feed into a Final Background Technical Report and Engagement Summary Report No. 1.