The Regional District of Central Kootenay has completed a draft Official Community Plan for Electoral Area I, and it’s now up for public review.
The new OCP is being developed to help manage growth and land use development in the communities of Brilliant, Glade, Pass Creek, Thrums, Tarrys, Shoreacres, and the Voykin Subdivision.
According to the RDCK, an OCP is a policy document that influences how people experience their community.
It guides residential development and transportation choices, climate action planning, community character, health and equity, housing affordability, protection of ecological areas, resource management, and servicing infrastructure.
Area I hasn’t updated its OCP since 1996. The RDCK attempted to update the plan in 2016, but it was put on hold until about three years ago, according to Planning Manager Nelson Wight.
Because the last OCP was developed 28 years ago, Wight said the focus of the new one is to check in with residents and ensure their values are reflected in it, while considering how the area has changed since 1996.
“I’d say one of the main focuses is just checking in with the community, recognizing that these documents are community-driven, so it’s important to reflect the values of the community.”
The making of an OCP is a collaborative process. The RDCK said that this OCP is the culmination of an extensive multi-year community engagement process.
Over 425 participants, including children, youth, elders, community organizations, First Nation members, governments, agencies, and partners, have participated in its development.
Wight said that during the community engagement process, the RDCK hosted a variety of information sessions and events at community halls across the region to hear what residents wanted prioritized.
According to him, residents identified a strong desire to maintain the natural beauty and landscape of the area and the current standard of living.
“I’d say overall, the desire is to maintain the natural beauty of the area and to maintain the standard of living that the community feels they already enjoy today and not make many changes to it, really.”
There will be a few changes coming from the new OCP once it’s adopted, with Wight saying the most significant will be the enhancement of protection for aquifers and riparian areas.
“An aquifer is where we get our drinking water. A lot of residents have their own private wells that they rely on for drinking water, and some of these aquifers in particular are quite shallow and under threat. So it’s important that we encourage protection of those areas through careful decisions around how we use the land above it.”
Now that the district has completed the public engagement phase to inform the draft OCP, it’s now up for referral until August 26 for residents of Electoral Area I to provide additional comments.
Following this referral period, staff will make recommended changes before bringing it back to the RDCK Board of Directors to begin the process of adoption.
This is not the last chance to provide feedback. Once the Board has granted first reading, a public hearing will be held.
The draft OCP, associated mapping, and a referral companion document can be found here.
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