From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney
Hello, This report shares news about pay phone advocacy and two upcoming virtual public hearings concerning the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw.
Village Bay Lake Telephone Service
In September, the Village Bay Lake Family Water Recreation Society (FWRS) wrote to me concerned with safety of the Village Bay Lake area, following the removal of the pay phone at the Village Bay Lake parking area. The Society is very concerned about the lack of telephone access in the event of an emergency as there is zero cell coverage in the area. The Village Bay Lake area has 75 cabins and sees additional activity from folks using the Village Bay Lake boat ramp to access Main Lake Provincial Park.
The Society’s letter went first to the Electoral Area Services Committee who made a recommendation to the Board. At the October 30th meeting the Board agreed to allocate staff time to report on options for providing reliable telephone service to the Village Bay Lakes area on Quadra Island including, if possible, the reinstatement of the recently discontinued Telus pay phone service. The Directors from Zeballos and Sayward Village raised concerns about similar issues in or near their communities during the discussion. I’m hopeful that we’ll learn more through the report and it will reveal a path forward.
Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Public Hearings
There are two upcoming virtual Public Hearings scheduled to consider changes in the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw. They are virtual to provide an opportunity for community input & comment without the challenges of potentially inclement weather affecting attendance of staff and interested parties.
Both virtual Hearings are Thursday November 14th beginning at 6:30pm. The first bylaw up for discussion is Bylaw 574, Desolation Sound Bulk Water Regulation.
Bylaw 574 proposes to regulate bulk water bottling, processing & sales within the islands of Maurelle, Sonora, Read, Stuart & the Rendezvous’. Bulk groundwater extraction is licensed by the Province. A tool of local government to deter such operations is to enact regulations covering specific aspects with regulations which don’t infringe on the Province’s ability to issue licenses.
Bylaw 574 would provide a chance for the community to weigh in through a public hearing on any future proposal for commercial bulk water bottling, processing, or sales. If there is a proposal which the community believed had merit, that would be clear at a public hearing and an exemption could be issued. Read the staff report and proposed bylaw here: https://bit.ly/Bylaw574report
Similar bylaws have already been considered and included in the Quadra Island Zoning Bylaw, the Cortes Island (Area B) Zoning Bylaw, and Oyster Bay-Buttle Lake (Area D) Zoning Bylaw.
Bylaw 577 proposes to amend land use regulations with respect to short-term rentals (STRs) on the islands within the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw. The Province’s Bill 35 requires that regional districts update zoning bylaws to provide clear regulatory language related to STRs.
The SRD conducted a community survey inviting the input of Outer Discovery Islands residents on potential STR regulation options. The survey received 47 responses, 46% of which were from Read Island residents. When asked if residents would like to see Short Term Rentals as a permitted use in the area, 76% responded with “yes”. When asked where Short-Term Rentals should be permitted, the most popular vote (70%) indicated both Commercial and Rural land use designations. Residents also expressed the desire to have an on-site resident or caretaker.
In consideration of the community feedback, Bylaw 577 would amend the land use regulations of the Desolation Sound Rural Land Use Bylaw to permit STRs in all land use designations as an accessory use to residential use. Read the proposed bylaw and staff report here: https://bit.ly/Bylaw577report. The virtual Public Hearing for Bylaw 577 will immediately follow the Hearing for Bylaw 574 on November 14th. The link to the virtual hearings will be available here: srd.ca/government/land-use-bylaw-meetings/
Connect
Thanks for taking the time to read this report. You’re welcome to connect with me with questions or concerns, you can email [email protected], or call 250.203.2468. If you’d like to meet in person, you can book a meeting at calendly.com/robynmawhinney.
Until next time,
Respectfully,
Director Robyn Mawhinney