The Capital Regional District appears to have averted a major battle over its controversial regional growth strategy.

The CRD announced Friday a mediated solution to the RGS.

But thereB次元官网网址檚 still hoops to jump through: the next step is the presentation of the mediated solution to the CRD board on Wednesday. If approved, it then goes to the mayors and councils in the region for final approvals.

The growth strategy deals with development within the CRD, including land use, ecosystem preservation, transportation, economic potential and measures to contain urban sprawl.

ItB次元官网网址檚 supposed to be updated every five years. The current five-year update has now taken 10 years.

B次元官网网址淚 am extremely pleased with the solutions coming out of mediation, thanks to a strong collaborative effort from all participants,B次元官网网址� said CRD board chair Steve Price in a written statement.

Piping municipal water to the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area was the main stumbling block with the RGS. Many area residents, including their CRD director Mike Hicks, want piped water. But several CRD municipalities opposed it.

B次元官网网址淭he whole idea is that they were trying to curtail urban sprawl,B次元官网网址� Hicks said.

B次元官网网址淓xtending water does not result in urban sprawl. ItB次元官网网址檚 the [official community plan] and zoning that regulates density.B次元官网网址�

Part of the new mediated growth plan settles the disagreement over water by providing a process and criteria for addressing new water-services extensions, and identifies Juan de Fuca communities B次元官网网址� Otter Point, East Sooke and Port Renfrew B次元官网网址� where the extension could occur.

B次元官网网址淚t legalizes and legitimizes all the OCPs in the Juan de Fuca,B次元官网网址� Hick said. B次元官网网址淚t will take away all the conflict.B次元官网网址�

The Juan de Fuca also gave a little in the mediated settlement.

The Juan de Fuca agreed to a cap of 3,384 units in the East Sooke and Otter Point communities for 95 years. Those areas currently have 1,018 houses.

The figures are based on 20 houses built per year.

Hicks is confident the mediated RGS will get approval by all municipal councils, since all mayors have agreed to it.

If not, the RGS will go to binding arbitration.

B次元官网网址淚f this happens, we will lawyer up and we will win,B次元官网网址� Hicks said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 very optimistic that the Juan de Fuca will come out of this in a good way.B次元官网网址�

The Juan de Fuca electoral area includes the west coast of Vancouver Island from Otter Point to Port Renfrew, and the geographically separate communities of East Sooke, Malahat and Willis Point.