Council is considering Development Variance Permit 2026-01 for 254 Island Highway in View Royal, a request to reduce required parking from 15 spaces to 4 and eliminate the required accessible parking space. The property is a fully tenanted retail building at the corner of Island Highway and Stormont Road, currently occupied by The Winemaker, a wine-making business that has operated there for over 30 years. Authorization of the variance would allow issuance of the permit, with a building permit to follow.
The property is listed for sale by Colliers, marketed as a highly visible location along a major transit thoroughfare connecting Westshore, Esquimalt and downtown Victoria. The variance, if granted, would remove a substantial parking barrier that could otherwise deter acquisition or repurposing of the site. The Island Highway corridor is undergoing infrastructure improvements, though the municipality has emphasized that businesses remain open during construction. The reduction from 15 to 4 spaces is drastic by View Royal standards, and the absence of public correspondence in application data suggests the request has not yet drawn organized opposition. No applicant entity is named, which points to the current owner positioning the property for sale rather than a developer with a specific project.
If council authorizes the variance, the permit can be issued and a building permit could follow quickly, potentially allowing a new tenant or owner to occupy without embarking on costly parking upgrades. Confidence in this outcome is low, and without access to a vote breakdown, the political risk remains unquantified. The elimination of the accessible parking space could be a contentious element if council members raise universal access concerns. The Colliers listing notes a price reduction, which may indicate urgency or a sale contingent on parking relief. The decision will give a clear read on council's appetite for parking variances on aging commercial parcels along this corridor.
Council is considering Development Variance Permit 2026-01 for 254 Island Highway in View Royal, a request to reduce…