From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
Hello, Happy Thanksgiving! As chanterelles flourish and apples abound, I’m grateful for the rain and our great community. This report invites you to engage on Active Transportation planning, and shares info on Area C’s Official Community Plan review.
Active Transportation Planning needs YOU
Cycling, walking, running, skateboarding, wheelies, e-bikes: these (and more) are all forms of Active Transportation. Many folks move around our community using active transportation, and many more may like to if something about the route was better. This autumn Quadra is diving into creating an Active Transportation Network Plan: building a strategic document to map improvements for Quadra’s active transportation network.
This network planning project will identify goals, envision the long-term active transportation network, and prioritize future work. Building a robust, practical Active Transportation Network Plan requires community engagement: please accept this invitation to participate in the process and share your thoughts & concerns so the results are inclusive & representative.
Details for your calendar: a daytime, in-person community engagement event is happening October 29, 12 pm – 3 pm at the Community Centre. Also October 29th is an online engagement session, 6pm – 8pm, for folks who can’t make it to the daytime event. There’s also a survey planned (online & paper versions) with details forthcoming.
What excites me about this planning project is that included in it is creation of a ‘shovel ready’ plan for something which the community identifies as High Priority. This means all the groundwork like the engineering, survey, license of occupation application and design work will be completed and ready for a grant application – a huge step toward making this priority a reality.
Over the last two years I’ve heard from many folks about various active transport requests, including the need for a bike lane on the back road, crosswalk improvements, a safer route for school kids, and locations for cyclist signage… I hope everyone with an idea about how we could improve our active transportation infrastructure will participate in this planning project. Thank you in advance!
Stay informed: the SRD has created a webpage for this project, you can learn more & subscribe for updates on Area C projects here: srd.ca/area-c-atnp.
Official Community Plan Renewal
Yes! It’s true, Area C is officially beginning an Official Community Plan renewal process, and a first public meeting has been scheduled for Read Island at the Bunkhouse, Wednesday October 16th, 11 am – 3 pm.
An Official Community Plan (OCP) is a very important planning document which reflects our community’s social, environmental, & economic interests, outlines a long-term vision, states goals & objectives, and guides future land use planning & management.
Currently Area C has the Quadra Island Official Community Plan (adopted in 2007), the Quathiaski Cove Village Plan (adopted in 2012 as Schedule B of the OCP), and the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw (adopted in 1993, covering Read, Maurelle, Sonora, Stuart & Rendezvous Islands). The intention of SRD Planning staff is to create one comprehensive Area C OCP with separate chapters/‘schedules’ for different areas within Area C. (This Resources page includes links to the Plans and their associated maps).
The OCP review will be iterative in nature, allowing input from each area within the larger community to inform how they desire consultation. I’m told the process is fluid, it will involve cycles of planning, analysis, and evaluation based on community input and desires. The OCP will be informed by the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (completed 2023), and the Housing Needs Assessment.
SRD Planning staff have outlined a four phase OCP review process, viewable at this link, where you can also subscribe for updates on Area C projects: srd.ca/area-c-ocp/.
The OCP & Bill 44
The ramifications of Bill 44 are important to remember as we review and update our OCP. Bill 44 changed the Local Government Act and prohibited public hearings for rezoning applications where an application is consistent with an official community plan and where the purpose of the rezoning is in whole or in part residential. This prohibition prevents ‘relitigation’ of decisions previously made by the community.
Crescent Channel rezoning
Currently there is an application for two Crescent Channel parcels to be rezoned from Community Land Stewardship One to Rural One. This rezoning application is consistent with the Rural designation of the OCP. Rather than a Public Hearing, public input is invited through notice posted on the SRD website & their social media channels and advertised in the Mirror. The input opportunity is from the time of the application being seen by the Electoral Area Services Committee (October 9) to it being voted on by the Board (likely the October 30th meeting). Please contact planning@srd.ca with your questions or comments.
Connect
Thanks for taking the time to read this report. You’re welcome to connect with me with questions or concerns, you can email rmawhinney@srd.ca, or call 250.203.2468. If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a meeting at calendly.com/robynmawhinney.
Read previous Director’s Reports at robynmawhinney.ca/directors-reports.
Until next time,
Respectfully,
Robyn Mawhinney
Links of Interest
- The SRD’s Active Transportation Planing Grant opens the door for larger opportunities
- What the Cortes/Quadra Passenger Transportation Survey Discovered