So What Happened? A Tale of Two Land Use Plans

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

A Tale of Two Land Use Plans

For the last few years, the Municipality of North Cowichan has been engaging residents in the creation of a new Official Community Plan (OCP) to form a vision for future land use. Ten years ago, the MNC Council of the day pursued a similar path of constructing an OCP for North Cowichan. They asked the public what features of the Valley they most cherished. Responses of the day were described by the facilitators thusly: The importance of the rural setting to the image of North Cowichan as a place cannot be overstated, with virtually all participants citing natural or agricultural landscapes, views to forested mountains, fields or ocean, travel on rural roads, working farms and forests and the proximity and ready access to nature being among the most highly valued aspects. With this in mind, the 2011 OCP confirms the value of these qualities.

(2.1.4.1.c) Any change from the existing visual condition of existing landforms and features (eg, through the clearing of forest cover for a suburban development) should be difficult to perceive from key viewpoints. And yet, the visual condition of Mt. Tzouhelem, one of our pre-eminent landforms, has since then been continually altered by the removal of much of its forest cover, first for a failed golf course, then clearing over one hundred hectares more for a new development.

So what happened? The 2011 OCP states: 2.1.4.1.b) Site grading will be minimized to protect native vegetation and drainage patterns. And yet, time and again, we see developers scraping the surface of the land clean of all topsoil, trees, and every last bit of vegetation, hindering natural regeneration. These ‘moonscapes’ are sometimes left desolate for many years. So what happened? Recognizing that development on steep slopes poses a risk of landslide and erosion, BC’s Local Government Act (919.1) requires municipalities to protect development from hazardous conditions such as

The Kingsview development is on the right. You can also see how a slope off Genoa Bay Road was also devastated.

So What Happened? A Tale of Two Land Use Plans continued on pg 48

So What Happened? A Tale of Two Land Use Plans continued from pg 47 steep slopes over 20%. In steep or flood prone areas, the subdivision or development of land or the removal of vegetation may destabilize the areas, cause environmental damage or pose a risk of loss of life and property.

And yet, since 2011, much of the new development on Mt. Tzouhelem is in areas that are shown on MNC maps to be hazardous steep slopes, now almost treeless. In the last ten years, thousands of mature native trees have come down on some of the steepest slopes on Mt. Tzouhelem, on well over 100 hectares, to prepare for development.

So what happened? In Section 2.2.2 ‘Air Quality and Noise Pollution, the 2011 OCP states:

a) The Municipality will minimize the risk to public health from noise pollution…(and) will endeavor to avoid and prevent the creation of new sources of noise pollution…

And yet, shortly afterward, the Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit, with its continual soul-crushing auditory onslaught, was approved adjacent to the longstanding residential settlement of Sahtlam, causing a great deal of personal distress and loss of property value for the local area.

So what happened? This is what happened: the Council that approved the 2011 OCP did not approve a supporting Zoning Bylaw before its term ran out. A zoning bylaw is necessary to give teeth to the OCP and thus make it a reality. As a result, the outdated Zoning Bylaw of 1997 is still in effect to this day. This situation is in danger of happening again! The OCP that is now being completed could become as worthless as the 2011 OCP without a supporting zoning bylaw. And time is running out. You may have participated in the recent Growth Survey asking residents to choose between three Growth Scenarios for future growth. The majority of residents chose a plan that would allow growth while leaving natural and rural areas untouched. But there is already push-back from some on Council. The faction in our midst that wants to see unlimited development believes that more taxpayers will mean lower taxes and that needed infrastructure upgrades will be funded by all those new taxes from new residents.

But it doesn’t work that way. You have to build the infrastructure first. Campbell River recently refused occupancy permits for a freshly completed development because the city lacked the needed sewage capacity. New infrastructure is expensive and taxes go up, not down! Fast-growing Surrey raised its tax rate by 11% last year.

But most residents don’t concern themselves with municipal matters. When it comes to local Council, their eyes glaze with boredom. Then, suddenly, they find a high-rise going up beside them or a racetrack across the street.

If you would like to support the work of the QLNA, please email us at quamichanlna@ gmail.com. Our scope is the Quamichan Lake watershed, but anyone who shares our values is welcome to join.

Cynthia Montgomery is a Director of the Quamichan Lake Neighbourhood Association