You’ve Just Been Elected to Council: Some Planning Scenarios To Get You Started

You’ve just been elected to council and all the planning scenarios below are on the first council agenda!  How would you handle the following planning scenarios, questions or statements?  All of these scenarios, questions, statements and more are discussed when updating an Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw:

  • A property owner in the middle of a residential area wants to rezone his property so he can operate a commercial welding shop. Is this a suitable location for that type of business?
 
  • If a gravel crushing operation wanted to invest in the Village, but private residences were located in the industrial area, would this stifle economic development?
 
  • Should a 4 storey office building be allowed on the waterfront with a large parking lot for employees?  Does this type of development take up too much waterfront view or are community members OK with this type of development?

  • Can any type of development be allowed on the local blueberry patch or near a historic community cemetery? Should these areas be buffered from development to protect them?

  • You have a great idea to open a much needed vehicle parts shop on main street, you just need a loan to get it off the ground.  The Village’s bylaw notes that your property is in the flood zone but, whatever, too much extra work to flood proof the shop, you just want to get building right away.  Most banks though, won’t approved loans or provide liability insurance if your property or development does not meet certain standards, whether it’s the Village’s zoning bylaw or The National Building Code.

  • Does it bother you when councillors appear to make biased decisions?  A Zoning Bylaw can help with that!  For example, if someone wants to build a fence, the maximum height of the fence is set by the zoning bylaw, not by council’s whim.  And, taking it one step back: if during the zoning bylaw review phase council feels that fence heights don’t have to be regulated in the first place (and no provincial “fence legislation” exists), fence height standards don’t have to be included in a zoning bylaw at all.  The standards included in the zoning bylaw reflect what the Village feels is important for their community and the Village’s capacity to follow through with maintaining any given standard.