qathet Regional District’s board of directors will advise the provincial ministry of transportation and infrastructure that it has no objection to a subdivision application for a property in Electoral Area C.
At the April 26 regional board meeting, directors supported the application for 2732 Zilinsky Road, with the condition that it update the civic address for the existing dwelling on the proposed remainder lot to reflect the legal access from Nassichuk Road. There also has to be proof of onsite water and septic servicing on each of the proposed lots from Vancouver Coastal Health.
The third condition is to enter into a covenant to protect the riparian area along Lang Creek.
According to a staff report, the existing parcel is 5.84 hectares and the proposed subdivision results in three parcels. Two would be one hectare in size each, with the remaining lot measuring 3.84 hectares. The proposed two new lots are developed with accessory buildings and the proposed remainder lot is developed with a residential dwelling, the report stated.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said he opposed the subdivision application because the official community plan (OCP) is a comprehensive document based on public input. Gisborne said the OCP states the minimum lot size. He said the application is below the minimum lot size and also below the average lot size outlined in the OCP.
“Outside the city limits, in the electoral areas, we have a couple of areas that have regulatory zoning bylaws, but in most of the areas, we don’t,” said Gisborne. “What we use to guide development essentially is the OCP and residents and community members working with each other. While we don’t enforce the OCP outside of the zone bylaws, we do use it as recommendations.
“We want the public to respect the OCP and the policies. I think that starts with the regional board. The OCP sets minimum lot sizes from public input and this application is below the minimum lot size. It’s outside of what the OCP lays out.”
Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander said Gisborne was correct that the OCP stipulates minimum lot size and average lot sizes, and the proposed lots were slightly below the average size and the minimum lot size.
“The OCP and the regulations within the OCP are guidelines,” said Brander. “They are not the only thing we exclusively go by. They are not hard and fast. In some cases, you take the lay of the land or natural boundaries in order to make the lot lines.
“The planning department has come forward and taken advantage of a treed area and a drainage ditch and these are the natural way to divide this property. They have also looked at the parcel sizes in the neighbourhood and having a minimum lot size of one hectare falls into that range of lot sizes up and down Zilinsky Road. I don’t see a problem with this and the minimum lot sizes still fall into line with regulations that Vancouver Coastal Health has for minimum lot sizes.”
The board voted in favour of the recommendation with Gisborne opposed.
