Following a two-hour public hearing on the draft 2016-18 Official Community Plan, the Town of Qualicum Beach council deferred third reading to a subsequent meeting.
During the public hearing Monday at the civic centre, some of the people who got up to speak said they were confused about the OCP process based on the end result of the draft.
Monday’s meeting was the last chance for public input on the Official Community Plan bylaw. Included on the agenda was third reading for the 2016-18 OCP review update.
Trish Moroto said she thought the OCP would be a guiding document or a visionary statement, but she said what is “before us is not a descriptive document, not a visionary document, but in fact it’s a prescriptive document.”
Moroto said the document needs to be brought back to staff.
“I think it is a very large mistake putting this document through as a prescriptive document,” she said.
“I think there are beautiful things in here, but it needs to be brought back as a descriptive document.”
Bruce Fleming-Smith said while housing played a huge role in the public dialogue, the draft document is missing key elements such as “its treatment of matters pertaining to climate change, sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.”
Kevin Monahan, the OCP review committee chair, said in the years leading up to the OCP, council pushed discussions on to the OCP review, but he said motions on the topics were not always made.
“So when we (the OCP steering review committee) went to the minutes of the council meetings to research what subjects council had recommended to be put forward to the OCP review this time around, there wasn’t a lot there.”
“One of the things we should start doing now is looking toward the next OCP. I’m afraid to say it, but this one’s almost done and it’s time to look forward.”
Monahan said when this OCP review is “put to bed,” there should also be a motion made that some of the issues council feels weren’t dealt with in this process because of lack of time should be taken up in the next OCP review.
Council unanimously voted to defer third reading to the next meeting, May 28 at 7 p.m. at town hall, 660 Primrose St.
