A motion to direct qathet Regional District (qRD) staff to provide a report on the process of updating Electoral Area B’s official community plan (OCP) failed at the regional district’s planning committee meeting.
At the March 8 meeting, Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne introduced the motion, hoping to get the nearly 10-year-old OCP rewritten.
“My understanding is after 10 years an OCP update is usually expected to ensure it meets current population projections and community values, while continuing to meet statutory requirements,” said Gisborne. “Area B has been experiencing steady development pressure and there is increasing friction around land use.”
Gisborne said there is a new generation of property owners and concern that their innovative ideas are not necessarily compatible with the policies of the OCP.
“I believe that a significant amount of the community’s apprehension toward increased regulation is that those proposed regulations are based on a 10-year-old OCP,” said Gisborne. “Texada Island has recently upgraded its OCP through the process, so this motion is to ask staff for a report on how Area B can get started on the process.”
Manager of planning services Laura Roddan said the planning department over the last years has been systematically reviewing and updating each of the regional district’s OCPs. She said that process has been unfolding in date order.
“The only official community plan that has not been reviewed and updated over the last 10 years is the Savary Island OCP, which was adopted in 2006,” said Roddan. “That is the next OCP that is in the queue. It is the time to review and update the Savary Island plan.
“The Area B OCP and Area C OCP were each adopted in 2013. The Savary Island OCP predates that. They would be coming up next in the queue.”
Gisborne said he is still in favour of a report for a more detailed timeline.
“Yes, Savary Island’s OCP is much older but I believe Area B is experiencing significantly more development pressure,” said Gisborne. “I’m wondering if we could eventually update two OCPs at the same time.”
Electoral Area B director Sandy McCormick said she was not in favour of the motion. She said it goes back to the Texada Island OCP, which was dated 2005, and which was replaced last year.
“That’s a very long time to wait and I think there’s a lot of common sense in reviewing the oldest ones first,” said McCormick. “We need to update them all in a timely manner but we also have to consider the limitations on staff time. Doing it in chronological order makes a lot of sense.”
Electoral Area C director and planning committee chair Clay Brander said if the regional board tried to do two at one time it would necessitate more staff.
“With the limitations we have, I agree that we should do them in chronological order and keep the schedule,” said Brander.
Gisborne voted in favour of the motion, with the three other directors on the planning committee opposed, so the motion failed.
