qathet Regional District’s planning committee has been provided a timeline for the next official community plan for Electoral Area B.
At the November 12 planning committee meeting, Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said the Area B official community plan is something that has come up at the planning committee in the past. He said the reason he was bringing the matter back to the planning committee is the Savary Island official community plan has been an eye-opener for the community and members of the planning committee.
“Some of the challenges that Area B faces has to do with our zoning bylaws, when it comes to density,” said Gisborne. “If you restrict your density based on a dwelling unit, it will consider a house that is 10,000 square feet in size, and a 20-foot motorhome would also be considered a dwelling unit.
“There is discussion, especially at Nootka Street, about what we actually want to restrict, and the concept of floor area and lot coverage is something that has been added to other communities’ official community plans. I would like to see us moving forward on the Area B official community plan. My question is: what is the timeline?”
Manager of planning services Laura Roddan said staff is already looking ahead to the sequence of official community plan reviews and updates. She said in the draft budget coming forward, for 2025 to 2029, there are slope and flood hazard and groundwater studies for areas B and C in 2026. The official community plan reviews and updates are scheduled for 2027 and going into 2028, according to Roddan.
“Staff are thinking of tying together areas B and C official community plans rather than having two separate plans,” said Roddan. “There are a lot of efficiencies and resources if we do that. It is a trend in other areas, grouping your official community plans, having one rather than splitting them up.”
Gisborne said that leaves him some concern because there is a housing crunch. He said he realizes that other regional districts are developing harmonized official community plans, which is where they take all the electoral areas and make one big official community plan.
“That does have some benefits, but it also comes with some risks associated with individual neighbourhoods and individual electoral areas feeling like their uniqueness isn’t fully understood and grasped,” said Gisborne. “Area B is the electoral area that borders the city limits. We do have significant development pressures and there are significant concerns related to our housing policy. We currently have inconsistencies between zoning bylaws and the official community plan. My residents keep asking me what we are going to do to address this housing issue.”
Gisborne said that is what he would like to have addressed. He said 2027 is three years before the process is started and he believes members of the public would be unhappy that the regional district continues to not change those policies.
“I’m hoping for something a little bit more aggressive,” said Gisborne.
Electoral Area A director and planning committee chair Jason Lennox said the question about the timeline had been answered, and it may not be to everyone’s liking, but the regional district was working on the Savary Island official community plan and learning from the process.
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