Our New Petition
Friends of the Gulf Islands is starting the new year with two new campaigns: a petition and a call for Build Out studies.
Friends is circulating a new petition aimed at trustees who are re-writing the most important document they control, the Trust Policy Statement (TPS). This document controls what bylaws Local Trust Committees can pass and what policies must be included in local Official Community Plans (OCPs).
For example, the current TPS does not allow Local Trust Committees to pass bylaws inconsistent with the growth management policies in their OCPs. Also, the current TPS does not allow Local Trust Committees to increase density in areas with water supply problems. Managing density and growth consistent with water supplies and protecting the natural environment are critical to protecting the trust islands for all British Columbians.
Our petition is asking Trust Council to pass a TPS with policies that properly protect rural character, water supplies and the natural environment. Please read the specific requests in our petition, and if you agree, please sign the petition and circulate this newsletter to your contacts throughout BC for more signatures.
Build Out Studies Needed
Currently Salt Spring, Denman, Gabriola and Gambier islands are reviewing their Official Community Plans and Lasqueti is doing a minor review to be followed by a complete review soon. Other islands may also do such a review in the next few years.
OCPs can contain primarily weak statements asking trustees to “consider” protecting the environment or can have strong requirements that development in certain places must meet certain criteria. Examples are: that development cannot interfere with the ecological functions of estuaries, seasonal wetlands or lakes or that groundwater recharge areas be protected from unnecessary tree removal.
The OCP functions in tandem with a zoning bylaw that states how many lots can be created by setting a minimum lot size. The number of lots that can be developed controls the total possible future population of an island. This is called “build out”. It is determined by adding the number of existing lots together with the number of lots that can be created in the future through allowed subdivision.
We think before making changes to an island’s OCP and zoning, and possibly adding more development potential, we should know this Build Out.
In asking for this, we have met resistance such as that this is too difficult or too expensive. Some may object, fearing that if it is known how many people could eventually live on the island, some will ask for zoning to be reduced. This is legal to do but may be strongly opposed by affected land owners. We say that it is common sense and good planning to know where you are before deciding where to go in the future.
We urge you to request that your Local Trust Committee ask that staff conduct a study to determine the Build Out of your island. If you do so, please let us know, so we can track progress on this issue.
Root Cause of Housing Shortage
Read this article that appears in the the Gulf Islands Driftwood, highlighting the deep causes behind our housing shortage.
In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
If you are not yet a member of the Society, please consider joining.