The CSRD announced Friday that it will be initiating a zoning bylaw to complement the recently completed Electoral Area ‘B’ Official Community Plan. The new zoning bylaw will apply to the entirety of Electoral Area ‘B’ including the communities of Mica, Rural Revelstoke, Trout Lake, Beaton and Galena Bay.
According to lead Planner, Jan Thingsted, the process involves validating all of the existing land uses throughout Area ‘B’, comparing them to the earlier surveys and finally, preparing a regulatory bylaw to protect established and appropriate land uses.
The recently conducted surveys have determined what is believed to be the current land use. This information will be plotted on large maps and shared with the public at two scheduled open houses on July 28 – one in Trout Lake at the Community Hall at 10 am and a second at the Revelstoke Community Centre at 6 pm. The purpose of these open houses is to verify land use information by gaining feedback from local residents. “This is a very open process and the public’s participation is strongly encouraged and welcomed”, says Thingsted. There will be at least two opportunities for rural residents to participate in the development of this bylaw.
Loni Parker, CSRD Director for the area is very pleased with the initiative. “Following the completion of the OCP process that established guidelines for future development, residents are anxious to see zoning in place. This bylaw can only be as effective as the input that is provided to it, so I’m really hopeful that rural residents will plan to attend the open houses.”
Final adoption of the new zoning bylaw is expected for April, 2011. Further information will be available on the CSRD’s website shortly.
For more information contact CSRD Planner Jan Thingsted at jthingsted@csrd.bc.ca or by phone at 1-888-248-2773 (Toll-free in BC). The CSRD’sa website is at www.csrd.bc.ca.
