Official Community Plan Review
The District of North Cowichan’s first Official Community Plan was adopted in 2002, and took three years to develop. This Plan was meant to provide a long term vision for the future of development in North Cowichan, by addressing local challenges. Based on what the community identified as important, five key goals were established:
- Preserving the Rural Setting
- Working with the Natural Environment
- Encouraging Complete Communities
- Building Strong Neighbourhoods
- Ensuring Responsive Planning and Decision Making
When adopting its Official Community Plan, North Cowichan committed to regularly reviewing the Plan to ensure that the Municipality was on track with implementation of the Plan, and to ensure that the Community’s concerns were being met by the Official Community Plan. Up to this point, the Official Community Plan has provided good policy direction, and it is clear that it does not need to be rewritten. However, issue that have emerged since the adoption of the Official Community Plan can and will be addressed through the Official Community Plan review process.
Planning for the Official Community Plan review began in 2007 through the Municipal’s Advisory Planning Commission and the Municipal’s Council’s Technical Planning Committee. The Municipality of North Cowichan is committed to an effective community consultation process for the Official Community Plan review, which is expected to take approximately one year. At the end of the process, North Cowichan will have an updated Official Community Plan, what we are calling "OCP 2009".
Official Community Plan Review Process
Phase I - Initial ResearchJanuary 2008 to February 2008
Background research on Community trends (population and housing) as well as progress towards meeting Municipal goals have been completed. (Click here for Population and Housing Forecasts Report)
A random telephone survey of 500 North Cowichan residents has been conducted by Ispos Reid, to determine any changes in the community member concerns since the 1999 Community Survey, and to gain insight into community priorities and perspectives on the effectiveness of the Official Community Plan to date. A full report was presented to Council in early March 2008. (Click here for Final Report and Highlights)Phase II - Community Consultation
April 2008 to June 2008
Kid's Contest
(Click here for Contest Entries and Presentation to Council)
June 2008 to October 2008
Public meeting/workshops were held to address topics identified for the Official Community Plan review process.
Topics Included:
Commercial/Industrial Areas
Transportation , including Recreation/Trails and Trans Canada Highway
The Natural Environment, Green House Gas Emissions/Climate Change
Food Security and Agriculture
Social Planning
Crofton Waterfront
(Click here for full reports, including presentations)
February 2009 to March 2009
Open Houses combined with community meetings were held by neighbourhood (7) to focus on general issues as well as those specific to each neighbourhood. The neighbourhoods are as follows: Bell McKinnon, Chemainus, Crofton, Maple Bay, Prevost, South End and Rural areas. Input was collected via Open House Comment Sheets (57) and Questionnaires (261), requesting that community members provide direction on various policty and land use questions. (Click here for Policy Direction Report)
There were also a couple of community character assessment exercises that meeting attendants were asked to participate in. Results of these exercises shall be posted on the website.
Based on the public input received at the Community Meetings and during Phase II, together with technical input, legislative requirements and other information, a draft OCP 2009 will be developed.
Phase III - Community ReviewFall 2009
Open Houses will be held in Malls, Schools, Libraries, Community Centres or other venues to solicit public input on the draft OCP 2009. Planning staff will be on hand to answer questions from the public. Participants will be invited to provide written feedback to the Municipality through comment sheets.
Comments received will be compiled and will be used to assess the need for any changes to the draft OCP 2009.
Phase IV - Municipal Adoption
Winter 2009 to 2010
Formal meetings open to the public:
Council meetings to give 1st, 2nd & 3rd Readings and Adoption the Official Community Plan
Public Hearing (formal requirement)
| Official Community Plan Review |
| Municipality of North Cowichan |
| 1/9/2008 |
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| Planning Department |
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