Skip to main content
The District of Saanich Home

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.

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

Phases overview
Phase 2: Research and Engagement
Phase 2: Research and Engagement - Survey
Phase 2: Research and Engagement - Analysis
Phase 3: Recommendations Development and Feedback
Phase 4: Finalize Recommendations

Phase 3: Recommendations Development and Feedback

April 1, 2026 - August 31, 2026

Phase 3 Recommendations Development and Feedback will use best practices research and what we heard to test draft recommendations and policy scenarios with Council, the community and stakeholders. Engagement will include website updates, internal staff workshops, and targeted focus group feedback to explore trade-offs and refine options. Key outputs include an Off‑Street Parking and Loading Regulations Summary.