North Saanich council has asked staff to start drafting a new Official Community Plan (OCP).
Mayor Geoff Orr joined Couns. Patricia Pearson, Brett Smyth and Murray Weisenberger in favour of drafting with Couns. Heather Gartshore, Jack McClintock and Celia Stock opposed.
Orr said he sees value in going forward with the drafting at this stage even with an election looming and uncertainty around housing-related elements of the plan.
B次元官网网址淭he majority of that work (is on) things that the majority of the community supports,B次元官网网址� he said, referring to policy work around agriculture, around environment and other elements.
Council had earlier received and endorsed a report of 30 recommendations from consultants handling the OCP review since March 2020. The current OCP, a foundational document spelling out future land uses, dates to 2007 and the review has been a source of controversy in the community for various reasons, from pandemic-driven delays to rising costs.
MondayB次元官网网址檚 vote moves the process forward, but also means a new council will receive the draft, estimated to be sometime in B次元官网网址渆arly 2023.B次元官网网址� With four current council members not running for re-election, the new group will have to decide whether to complete the process, ask for revisions or scrap the process.
Stock pointed to this very possibility in her remarks.
B次元官网网址淵ou have to look at our credibility,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭his document is about the future of our community. It will be valid for the next 15 to 20 years and here we are at the end of our term.B次元官网网址�
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McClintock questioned whether the recommendations actually enjoy support, adding many rest on B次元官网网址渘arrowB次元官网网址� majorities. B次元官网网址淯nless you have 65, 70, even 80 per cent of the people wanting a shift or wanting to promote a recommendation, that is when you get support.B次元官网网址�
Weisenberger countered that argument, saying, B次元官网网址渢hat would put the next council in the best position to move ahead one way or the other. We have done a huge amount of consultation. To think that an item such as this in North Saanich, that we are going to get 75 per cent support in any direction is just wishful thinking,B次元官网网址� he said.
While the draft will not please all residents, he added, B次元官网网址渨e are elected to make decisions for the good of the community B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 about leadership.B次元官网网址�
In a later interview, Smyth said the draft will present the public with some actual substance.
Asked whether the next council is being presented with a document that could almost be considered a fait dB次元官网网址檃ccompli, he said the future council has the option of doing what it wants with the draft.
Housing continues to divide council. Orr, Pearson, Smyth and Weisenberger saved five recommendations favouring, among other items, residential infill in North SaanichB次元官网网址檚 southeast quadrant and a review of policies critics say make it impossible to build affordable housing.
Two of the five actually scale back previous recommendations, including reducing the area dedicated for apartment buildings in McTavish Village. Gartshore, McClintock and Stock wanted that element to disappear entirely.
Other aspects once deemed controversial will not end up in a future draft, including the idea of a community hub in Deep Cove, which consultants recommended removing B次元官网网址渄ue to a lack of community supportB次元官网网址� and designating as per the existing OCP.
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