BS Terrace Review — Wednesday, May I, 1991 : _ Ministry of Crown Lands - has large but slow — role in housing market — Housing has become an increas- ingly pressing issue in the Terrace area, and a recent forum here - brought together a number of government agencies and business representatives to identify and consider the issues involved. In this segment of a series of articles, Terrace Review reporter Tod Strachan covers the role played in the housing situation by the pro- _ vincial Ministry of Crown Lands. The Ministry of Crown Lands i: may be an ideal partner to help Municipalities in their goal to : provide - rental units, Crown land exists in . or near most B.C. municipalities, subsidized, non-profit and for purposes of social housing ' there is no reason why it could not ‘be sold or leased to a non-profit society at a price well below mar- ket value. But the process is slow, and the ministry generally expects "fair market value" for all Crown land. Representing the ministry at the housing conference was the area director of marketing, Ed Opal of Smithers. Opal explained that there are two segments to the Ministry of Crown Lands: Land Administra- tion receives applications from individuals or businesses, and Marketing and Development ident- ifies needs and makes land avail- able to meet those needs when | ‘Where To F ind It’ possible. Most often, Crown land that falls under this second segment is turned over to the private sector through a tendering process, a lot draw, or a proposal call. In some cases, however, in which develop- ment isn’t economically viable for the private sector, Opal says, the ministry will develop the land themselves. Both sections of the ministry use the same decision-making process in order to alienate (sell) crown land. In most instances, a request is received in the form of an appli- cation. First, the status of the land in question is checked to determine if there are existing users, and the application then goes into a refer- tal process through which affected ministries, regional districts and municipalities can comment. While at this referral stage, the application is also advertised for public comment and where poss- ible any land use conflicts are resolved. And finally, once the ministry is convinced that the intended use is consistent with accepted environmental standards and will contribute to the econ- omic or social well being of the province, some form of tenure is granted. Tenure might take the form of a Crown grant for fee simple rights, meaning registered exclusive rights to the land; or a Crown lease for a specified period of time; a licence of occupation which is an inexpen- sive and relatively fast process, but which offers restricted use and-it can be cancelled within 90 days; and finally a permit or reserve, which in reality is nothing more than a notation on a map. The Hudson Bay and Shames Mountain ski developments fall under this latter catepory. : The Ministry of Crown Lands also makes land available for residential development, says Opal. The ministry’s preferred approach, he says, is to identify a block of land that would satisfy a given demand and publicly tender that parcel at fair market value. The process of obtaining Crown land, says Opal, is a problem in itself. By insisting on “fair market value", the ministry may not be | addressing the need for low-cost rental units. But even if they were, the process is often far too slow for most developers. Opal, explains that the decision- making process has become more localized; decisions are being made in the field rather than in Victoria. But due to the time involved in consulting, and adjusting permitted land use to conform with the wishes of others, the process can take several months —- sometimes as long as a year. Ed Opal: The process is often far too slow for most developers. NOTICE OF 5 YEAR - DEVELOPMENT PLAN The Bell Pole Co. Ltd. wishes to make avail- able for public viewing the 5 Year Develop- ment Plan No. 6 under Forest Licence A- 16832 for proposed operations within the Kispiox Belt POLES SINCE 1908 | I TSA. The plan may be viewed at the Bell Pole Co. Office, 5630 Highway 16 West, Terrace, B.C. until June 28, 1991, during reguiar working hours. Comments are invited and to ensure con- sideration they should be in writing and directed to ‘Forestry Supervisor’, Bell Pole Co. Ltd. P.O. 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