The wonderful thing about living in Powell River Regional District is you can put whatever you want on your property. The drawback is your neighbours can put whatever they want right next to your property.
So, when a gravel pit is booming over your pastoral organic flowerbeds, you can do nothing but moan or move. It has always been this way.
In fact, 20 years ago, Nootka Street residents faced this dilemma in their neighbourhood when what had been a peaceful golf course became a building site for more than 50 houses. They did more than moan, and they did not move; they went to local government and asked for spot zoning.
For the Nootka neighbours it was worth loosing the freedom to do whatever they wanted in exchange for security that others had to live by neighbourhood rules. It was not an easy fix and took a civic push to get the regional district to listen. Lucky for them, they saw it through, and today Bylaw 321 may save their neighbourhood, again.
New owners of the erstwhile golf course are bulldozing and building as we read, but this time the residents, who didn't move the first time, have a tool in their fight for the style of neighbourhood they want to keep.
It did not work so well for another Electoral Area B neighbourhood. Despite opposition from residents, a gravel-pit soundscape continues to rumble through the subdivision, which could happen tomorrow anywhere in the regional district.
Our regional district is shaped by a policy document called an official community plan. This document offers a community vision to residents and developers, but anyone can apply for an amendment. But really, no one needs to even do that. There are examples of building first and asking permission afterward throughout the region.
As Vancouver real estate prices tilt developers toward the Sunshine Coast, we can expect speculation and development to impact our region. New blood can be very good for our community, but it will mean changes to the shape of our neighbourhoods and style of living we enjoy in the regional district.
Do we have any say in how our neighbourhoods grow? Can we protect our environment?
There are regional directors who resist the idea of setting standards and writing rules for development. Lack of regulation is one of the wonderful things about living in the regional district. It has worked out okay in the past, most of the time.
Is it time for our local government to plan for the future?
Janet May is a writer, outdoor educator and retired forester. She is also a 26-year resident of Powell River Regional District.
