A public information brochure on qathet Regional District planning services will undergo some updates before publication. At the September 30 regional board meeting, Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall said he had a couple of questions about the brochures.
Fall said in the section on subdivisions and building a sentence stated subdivision approvals in the regional district are under the authority of the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which applies to electoral districts of the regional district. He pointed out that City of Powell River is in the regional district and has its own subdivision bylaws.
He said a second point pertained to parkland dedication. He said he did not see anything in the brochure about parkland dedication requirements and wondered if it made sense to add something about referring to the parks and greenspace plan to make sure landowners know under certain situations that there are requirements for parkland dedication or funds.
Manager of planning services Laura Roddan said with regard to Fall’s first point, the brochure states that qRD provides planning services for all of the electoral areas of the region, except for Lasqueti Island, which is provided by the Islands Trust.
Regional board chair and Electoral Area A director Patrick Brabazon said Fall had touched on a subject important to him, and that’s confusion between what is and is not in the regional district. Brabazon then asked Roddan about parkland dedication and referral to the parks and greenspace policy.
She said information in the brochure has been generated from the most frequently asked questions the planning department has received from the public. She said parkland dedication is not a question frequently received. She added that parkland dedication applies to a recent subdivision application, but otherwise, it had been six years since another application like that had been received.
“That’s why this information isn’t in the brochure, but we could add it if you so desired,” said Roddan.
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said she thought it was a good idea to add it. Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne concurred.
“The next motion on the agenda tonight has to do with a subdivision application which does trigger that parkland acquisition,” said Gisborne. “Having that included in our brochure might help the public understand what can be expected when they do a large subdivision.”
He said he also concurred with regard to the brochure pointing out subdivision approval in the regional district electoral areas are the authority of the ministry of transportation and infrastructure.
Brabazon said the board had a recommendation before it to receive the staff report relating to the public information brochures. He said he thought a motion to receive the staff report and direct staff to include the references that the regional board had just provided would be in order.
“The amendment would be to make a reference to the parks dedication and the parks and greenspace study, and to clarify approval for the electoral areas,” said Brabazon.
Electoral Area C director Clay Brander asked if the brochures had gone to print. Roddan said they had not been printed. The brochure has been uploaded to the qRD website but it was not sent to the printer, so recommended changes could be made.
The board carried the amendment and the main motion to reflect recommended changes.
