TPS Letter Writing Campaign a Success

Thank you for writing to the Islands Trust about their draft Trust Policy Statement (TPS). The TPS governs what bylaws Trust Committees can pass, including our Official Community Plan (OCP). At the February 2nd deadline, the Trust had received 193 letters of which 134 clearly supported protecting the natural environment. Other letters addressed specific issues and only a handful supported the current draft TPS.

Positively Forward shares credit with Friends of the Gulf Islands Society, which sent its petition urging the Trust to protect the natural environment, with over 1800 signatures to the Trust Council, Minister of Municipal Affairs Christine Boyle and our MLA Rob Botterell, who is also supporting a TPS that protects the Trust Mandate.  Once we know when the Trust Council will make a decision on a new TPS, we will notify you.

Time to Participate in OCP-LUB Review

Right now, we are focusing on the public consultation for revisions to our OCP and Land Use Bylaw (LUB). Our trustees have funded a second round of community consultation in March. Please be on the lookout for tables, or other “pop up” events around the island, letters to your organization requesting your feedback, and community meetings. We will let you know when these meetings are to be held.

Please consider letting your friends and neighbours know that our OCP is being reviewed and their input is much needed. Feel free to forward them this newsletter so that they are aware of the complexities of the issue. They can sign up to receive our newsletters directly.

 

Positively Forward’s Goal

Our goal for the OCP review is to preserve the most significant requirement in our entire OCP which states:

“B.2.1.2.1 Zoning changes should be avoided if they would likely result in a larger island population than is expected under the development potential zoned in 2008. Exceptions to this policy are to be few and minor and only to achieve affordable housing and other objectives of this Plan.”

Unfortunately, this requirement seems to be exactly what others want removed. Recent letters submitted to the Driftwood and Salt Spring Exchange have stated that the OCP is out of date and has barriers to affordable housing.

There is a misconception that expanding zoning to allow more homes on small lots will produce affordable housing. We believe that only housing that is legally required to be affordable will meet this need. Additionally, the very limited number of new water hook-ups now available for Ganges should go to affordable housing.

Trustee Patrick and Transition Salt Spring have indicated that our current OCP supports growth because there are still many undeveloped properties zoned for single family residences. This is misleading because current zoning will be difficult to change for a variety of reasons. Current policies already allow development potential to be transferred to more developed areas. But this has rarely been done.  Also, zoning is set in the LUB (a different bylaw), not the OCP.

The idea of downzoning Channel Ridge, which has been suggested, is also not feasible. Extra permissions/densities to build there were granted to the developers as part of a legal agreement. That legal agreement requires public park land in Channel Ridge to be returned to the developers if the Islands Trust removes the densities.

We all agree that there is a dire need for affordable housing for island workers. We are the strongest supporters of truly affordable housing because we are insisting that new zoning to expand development be restricted solely to housing that has legal safeguards requiring affordability, thus benefiting our island workers.  We will be running ads and news items in the Driftwood and Salt Spring Exchange to correct any misinformation around this issue.

As soon as we have updated information, you’ll be hearing from us.

Actions you can take:

  • Attend a public meeting on the OCP when it is scheduled
  • Write to our Local Trust Committee at ssiinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca with OCP/LUB Review in the Subject line.   Ask to retain the policy in our current OCP that restricts the expansion of new zoning to legally-designated affordable housing or another community amenity.  This is especially important for the Ganges area, since a limited amount of additional water supply has been made available there.
  • Download our sample letter!