Twenty-eight members of the public were dwarfed in the open Evergreen Theatre which seats more than 700, yet their voices filled the entire space on Thursday evening, February 13, as the sustainable official community plan (SOCP) received its public hearing.
It was the final opportunity for people to voice their opinions about the plan before City of Powell River mayor and council decide whether to accept the plan as Bylaw 2370, 2014. If they do, the existing OCP bylaw from 2005 will be rescinded and replaced by the SOCP.
Mayor Dave Formosa called the hearing to order, sitting beside councillors Russell Brewer, Maggie Hathaway and Jim Palm. City clerk Marie Claxton and director of planning services Carlos Felip were also in attendance.
“This hearing is to allow public to make representations to council respecting matters contained in the SOCP bylaw 2370, 2014,” said Formosa. “There will be no debate during this hearing. Council’s role is to listen to the public’s views of the bylaw.”
Graham Farstad of Arlington Group Planning and Architecture, the consultants hired to put together the SOCP, provided a brief overview including background on how the process went forward and some of the key issues involved in the SOCP.
Farstad said the reason for the update was to develop a clear vision for the city, reflecting current needs and future aspirations. “Much of the public process centred around what the vision would be because everything flows from that,” he said. “We had a detailed background report that dealt with economic and demographic changes as well as some key changes in legislation particularly the provincial government’s initiatives regarding climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Following Farstad’s presentation, audience members were invited to comment, given a maximum of five minutes to state their case.
Five residents approached the microphone. Wes Bingham pointed out the special study area designation over the old arena site did little to protect the forest behind Powell River Historical Museum and Archives and below Harvie Avenue which was designated as urban residential medium density. “There is already ample land in this town zoned for multi-use housing,” he said. “There is no point in removing a functioning forest that is part of the Millennium Park to be changed into housing for some purpose. Why would you do that? Does the city have something to gain from that? I object to that and I will fight it.”
Betty Zaikow added to Bingham’s comments. “It was a designated heron rookery,” she said. “This to me is a farce if it is going to be a sustainable official community plan when you are taking out greenspace that is protecting all the wildlife, the Millennium Park, it is the gateway. We need vision and I really hope you have it.”
“I am objecting to the inclusion in the OCP of the plan to do joint treatment which was rejected by the public at all of the open houses in the public processes the city undertook,” said Ellen Gould, referring to pages 79 and 80 of the proposed bylaw. “The consultant who was engaged to report on public input said the joint treatment was rejected on all levels. So, for city council to insert this into its vision for Powell River makes a mockery of your public processes and it is going to be very hard to get people involved.”
She added, “…sustainability does not mean the most expedient thing to do economically, at least that is not the broader definition I think the public has for sustainability. We are looking at the environment and we are also looking at the confidence Powell River residents can have in the leadership when the circumstances of Catalyst paper mill show that at any moment they can go down and then we would be pumping raw sewage into the ocean.”
The issue of the old arena site and proposed location for the library was of concern for Pam Brown. “I was part of the library site negotiations which were done in good faith because council gave us the avenue to go ahead and now this thing is just going to sit on the back burner because there is no courage of council,” she said. She expressed concern that with only four members of council present at the hearing, it shows council has a lack of support for the process.
Final speaker was Cleve Hamilton. He also spoke of the old arena site and the lack of a referendum. “I wasn’t going to comment on the library but the last lady just commented on it about this fussing around over that vacant lot,” he said. “I think the whole process of that is something that people should just have a real close look at again…I share the view with a lot of people that sometimes they feel they are not being listened to—and they are not—that their elected officials aren’t following through with what they expect them to do. I would say to any of them, then run in the next election for starters and don’t give up on this whole process.”
With no further comments, the 37-minute long hearing was adjourned.
Following the hearing, Farstad spoke to the Peak and was quite positive on the evening’s hearing. “We try to get as many issues resolved through the public process as possible,” he said. “Some people were complaining there were only two dozen people here tonight but that is usually a sign we have addressed most of the concerns.”
There is nothing much more for the consultants to do, he said, unless council decides to make further changes. The bylaw is being reviewed by the Agricultural Land Commission and Powell River Regional District, and feedback is expected from both before the bylaw is scheduled for its next reading.
Farstad explained that any of the proposed land uses in the SOCP will not happen unless council agrees to rezoning, and zoning often requires a specific proposal and a development permit. “Council cannot act contrary to the OCP, but they don’t have to implement anything.”
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