On Feb. 27, Victoria council received some 700 pages of documents comprising the official community plan update. Reviewing the documents on March 6, council had many questions for staff. The answers were returned and discussed on April 3, when council agreed to advance the plan for ratification by April 17. As there is no opportunity for residents to weigh in on the draft OCP, the entire process was completed in 34 days.
During the April 3 meeting, staff pressed council to keep their amendments and discussions short in order to advance the draft OCP prior to the end of April. City staff insisted this was a critical deadline to meet, giving the CRD at least 120 days to review the “Regional Context Statement” (RCS). The RCS portion of the draft OCP is 11 pages long.
It seems city staff are in the driver’s seat. Not the city councillors and definitely not the city residents.
The provincial mandate to update OCPs before Dec. 31 means many municipalities are undergoing the same OCP update process. Here are some examples from around the province.
Langford prepared a draft OCP in late March. Phase 3 public engagement just finished on April 6. City of Langford staff will prepare the final OCP draft and policies for council adoption sometime in June.
Kamloops has just closed the application process for citizens to be members of an OCP planning advisory group. They will hold targeted meetings with impacted parties during April and May. They plan public engagement in May and June. Compilation of the draft OCP plan is to occur during August. A second round of public engagement is planned during September and October. The final plan adoption is planned for November and December.
White Rock started public engagement sessions in February and March. They held an open house on April 3. An OCP survey closes on April 30. During the summer, further public engagement is planned – dates to be determined. During the fall of 2025, the draft OCP plan amendments will be prepared and presented to council.
It is worth noting that Langford, Kamloops, and White Rock are all part of regional districts and will also be required to prepare regional context statements within their respective OCP documents.
Victoria residents deserve better. We deserve the chance to have our say and provide input to the draft OCP. Public engagement prior to finalizing the OCP should be part of the process.
Jacklyn Jolicoeur
Victoria
