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Oak Bay Mayor Asks Council to Vote Again on Lansdowne Road Development

Evan Brown
Jan 23, 2026


Many Oak Bay residents are asking the same question: Why is the proposed development at 2830 and 2850 Lansdowne Road back before Council after it was already rejected?

That question became more pronounced after discussions with Diana Gibson, the Provincial MLA representing Oak Bay–Gordon Head. Gibson noted that her office was aware Oak Bay Council had denied the application on November 24, and that the Province reviewed the file at that time. According to Gibson, the Province ultimately respected Council’s decision.

Against that backdrop, the project’s reappearance before Council has left many residents confused.

The answer appears to lie in a rarely used procedural mechanism, Section 131 of the Community Charter, which allows a mayor to require Council to reconsider a previous decision. Mayor Kevin Murdoch has stated that a procedural error in the original vote necessitated invoking this section, triggering a revote.

Section 131 is a lawful tool intended to correct errors, but it is used infrequently. When it is invoked, particularly after a provincial review that respected Council’s original decision, it naturally raises questions about process, timing, and transparency.

Those questions are further amplified by the fact that, at the same time the revote was initiated, the developer submitted a revised proposal for the Lansdowne Road properties. The changes include a reduction in the number of units and additional tree-preservation commitments. On their own, the revisions may appear constructive. However, the coincidence of a mayor-initiated reconsideration alongside a newly revised proposal has left many residents uncertain about how, and why, the project has returned to Council at this moment.

Adding to that uncertainty is the fact that the developer is now being represented by Niall Paltiel, a sitting councillor in the District of Central Saanich and the principal of the company proposing the development. While there is no suggestion of wrongdoing, the optics are difficult to ignore. When an elected official is simultaneously a development proponent and a councillor in a neighbouring municipality, public confidence depends heavily on transparency and strict adherence to established processes.

Council previously reviewed and rejected this project following a full process that included staff analysis, Advisory Design Panel input, and public feedback. That decision reflected Oak Bay’s long-standing commitment to careful planning and the protection of the Uplands’ park-like character.

The current reconsideration, however, is proceeding outside the usual full review process, without a new application, without Advisory Design Panel review, and without renewed public input. Even with the proposed revisions, the development would still require the removal of approximately 25 mature, protected trees in a neighbourhood defined by its canopy and landscape character.

Housing pressures are real, and provincial legislation has reshaped municipal planning. But those pressures do not remove the need for clear, consistent, and transparent decision-making, especially when a rarely used procedural authority such as Section 131 is invoked after Council’s decision had already been reviewed and respected.

Taken together, a mayor-initiated reconsideration, a revised proposal submitted at the same time, confirmation that the Province had accepted Council’s original decision, and representation by a sitting councillor from another municipality, it is understandable that many residents feel unsettled and uncertain about what has prompted this revote.

Ultimately, clarity will come from Council itself.

The Lansdowne Road development will be discussed at the Oak Bay Council meeting on Monday, January 26, 2026 at 7:00pm. Residents are encouraged to tune in and follow the discussion closely to better understand what happens next, and why.

Evan Brown

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What You Can Do

Sign the petition here: https://lansdowne.lovable.app/

Prior to publication, the author contacted Niall Paltiel to invite comment and ensure his perspective could be fairly represented. No response was received by the publication deadline.

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See also: Oak Bay Council Narrowly Rejects Six-Unit Uplands Development at 2830/2850 Lansdowne Rd. – CRD Watch Homepage

Will Oak Bay Council Allow 30 Protected Trees to Be Cut for Townhomes in the Uplands? Residents Urge Council to Reject Proposed Development – CRD Watch Homepage

Oak Bay Developer turns NIMBY but still plans Saanich project that Neighbours Oppose (Letter by Dave Secco) – CRD Watch Homepage

Index of CRD Watch articles concerning the environment/ecology. – CRD Watch Homepage