With the first draft of SookeB次元官网网址檚 official community plan looming, and many questions remaining unanswered, Mayor Maja Tait says sheB次元官网网址檚 willing to delay passage of the document until after this fallB次元官网网址檚 municipal election.
Often referred to as an OCP, an official community plan sets guidelines, policies and expectations for community development.
SookeB次元官网网址檚 new plan would replace one adopted in 2008. The provincial Community Charter recommends a new OCP every 10 years.
After attempting to produce a new plan since 2016, the district focused on the process in 2020. However, the COVID pandemic hampered efforts to receive broad-based community input.
B次元官网网址淵ou reach a point where we can only do so much given the constraints. It would be better to pause than to push ahead,B次元官网网址� Tait said.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 been engagement, but what IB次元官网网址檓 looking for now is consultation.B次元官网网址�
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Based on a released in November, 75 people attended civic open houses last fall, 190 viewed content on the LetB次元官网网址檚 Talk Sooke online discussion forum, 88 downloaded documents, 11 provided comments and dozens of letters were received.
According to online feedback and the theme of discussions, the focus of the OCP is on more town centre and in-fill development, with less emphasis on single-family units in residential subdivisions.
B次元官网网址淲hen residents say they want more growth in the town centre, do they realize that calls for up to six-storey buildings in the town core?B次元官网网址� Tait said. B次元官网网址淪ooke has very few six-storey buildings now.B次元官网网址�
Not a fan of online meetings, the mayor said public engagement should include more in-person consultations and discussions around the implications of policies.
The process gets more muddied with proposed provincial legislation on the review and approval of rezoning applications.
Municipal governments would no longer be required by legislation to conduct public hearings for rezoning applications, provided that the building proposals align with the municipalityB次元官网网址檚 approved OCP.
Additionally, city councils would delegate decisions on minor development variance permits to city staff.
Coun. Al Beddows, councilB次元官网网址檚 representative on the OCP committee, agreed there are challenges to creating an update of the OCP during a pandemic but added, B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檝e made every effort to engage the public.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 also a concern for local developer and former councillor Herb Haldane, whoB次元官网网址檚 had numerous meetings with Tait and municipal staff on the issue.
B次元官网网址淧eople donB次元官网网址檛 understand their rights are going to be taken away from underneath them. And more importantly, staff will take on the role of running this town over and above the council, based on what the OCP says through the language in the document,B次元官网网址� he said.
The OCP committee meets on Wednesday (Feb. 16) to finalize the second draft. The document would then be sent to council for first reading, with potential for final adoption this spring.
B次元官网网址淚f there is a problem with the OCP, then we react to it,B次元官网网址� Beddows said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not a done deal.B次元官网网址�
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