Cliff Boldt is advocating for a West Courtenay Local Area Plan (LAP) to help identify gaps in public services, and to provide valuable development direction to the City and School District 71.
“I think it’s the responsibility of the two local governments to work together,” Boldt said in a presentation to council July 2.
The former school trustee feels the time has come to shift attention to areas beyond Fitzgerald Avenue. He notes the west side of the city does not contain a secondary school, aquatic centre or recreation centre. He feels transportation corridors reflect Courtenay’s reality 30-plus years ago.
In a sense, Boldt said future planning started when SD71 proposed closing Ecole Puntledge Park Elementary, a decision the school board eventually reversed.
“It was a wide range of people who came together to oppose the school board,” he said. “The City of Courtenay passed a motion in support of retaining Puntledge elementary school, which was not an insignificant factor when the board was having a debate on the final disposition of that motion.”
Boldt recommends the City establish an LAP within Courtenay’s Official Community Plan (OCP) for the west side of the city. He also recommends that council does everything in its power to seek the involvement and participation of SD71.
“I do think all of West Courtenay is a bit large to do as a single Local Area Plan,” director of development services Ian Buck said, noting the Arden corridor contains its own LAP.
Staff has issued a Request For Proposals for an OCP review.
“There will be a lot of neighbourhood-level engagement, and that will take place over the course of the next 18 months, roughly,” Buck said.
