After months of haggles and compromises, the regional district board adopted Tuesday the Regional Growth Strategy, a government-mandated document to manage land use activities over the next 20 years.”Congratulations board, we’ve just given birth to a baby,” board chair Edwin Grieve quipped.Grieve and the three local mayors mediated a tentative agreement in December, hammering out 50 items of concern to local governments and adjacent regional districts. The toughest issues involved Cumberland expansion areas and servicing agreements outside municipalities. Geoff Garbutt, manager of strategic and long range planning, said the CVRD is the first jurisdiction to complete the process without binding arbitration, rendering the “made in Comox Valley” document the first of its kind in B.C.“This is an important milestone to celebrate,” Comox Valley MLA/Agriculture Minister Don McRae said in a news release. “We know that high-growth areas such as the Comox Valley need long-term strategies to build resilient communities, create jobs and support families. I look forward to knowing that the natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities that all citizens of the Comox Valley cherish will be preserved for generations to come.”Courtenay directors Larry Jangula and Murray Presley opposed third reading and final adoption. Presley, who called the two-year process an “exercise in futility,” has said the settlement node boundary identified at Mount Washington will hamper the ski hill’s ability to expand and develop.The RGS stirred a great deal of controversy in rural areas and municipalities, as heard at two public hearings last year. The first meeting drew upwards of 200 residents who blasted the document for encouraging urban sprawl. At the second session, many speakers were in favour of abolishing the Settlement Expansion Areas.There are 10 regional districts within three higher-growth areas of B.C. with completed regional growth strategies. The RGS will be monitored and evaluated on an annual basis to determine if the bylaw is meeting the needs of the Valley. reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com
Not everybody happy about birth of RGS ‘baby’
After months of haggles and compromises, the regional district board adopted Tuesday the Regional Growth Strategy, a government-mandated document to manage land use activities over the next 20 years.
