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News

Sidney seeks comment on OCP

by Girard Hengen
The Review

A town commission wants Sid-
ney residents to have their say
about where the town is going and
what direction it should take:

People will have ample opportu-
nity to speak out at public meet-
ings and consultations scheduled
during a review of the town’s
official community plan (OCP).

Town council has directed its
advisory planning commission
(APC) to review the OCP.

“Do we want to be a small town
or do we want to be something
else?” said Ald. Don Amos, coun-
cil liaison on the APC.

He said in an interview last
week he got involved in politics
because he was “very concerned
about the community and the
direction we are going.”

A review of the OCP is usually
held every five years, but Amos
said that cycle was broken at about
the mid-way point because the
pressure to develop has increased
in the last two years.

Aldermen June 10 received the
APC’s timetable for carrying out
the review. It calls for the adoption
of a new or revised plan in June,
1992.

In the interval, the timetable sets
out a schedule of what should
happen when. A whole series of
public meetings are planned.

Ald. John Calder said he com-
mended the APC “for putting
together this kind of process.”

“T think (the public) should be
more than pleased with the draft
document,” added Mayor Marie
Rosko.

“Sidney, because of recent
development on the waterfront and
because of initiatives to revitalize
the downtown core, appears to be
at a ‘planning crossroad,’ ”’ says
the preamble to the APC’s timeta-
ble.

“Tt is imperative that future
planning preserve the existing and
desirable characteristics and yet
allow for viable economic
growth.”

The APC vows to keep 19 goals

Peninsula library service
discussed by local councils

An independent library service,
bicycle trail network, joint grants
and the upgrading of the Pat Bay
highway were among the issues
discussed at a joint Sidney, North
Saanich and Central Saanich
council meeting in North Saanich
municipal hall June 4.

“We had the usual meeting of
minds,” North Saanich Mayor
Maurice Chazottes said.

A Peninsula library system
involving Sidney, North Saanich
and Central Saanich was proposed
as an alternative to the Vancouver.
Island Regional Library system, of
which all three municipalities are
members.

Sidney Mayor Marie Rosko said
the independent library might be
very expensive. However a study is
underway into the cost of a separ-
ate library system.

Chazottes felt a key issue was
sewage disposal. He welcomed a
suggestion that Sidney and North
Saanich work with the federal
government on the development of
additional sewage disposal facilit-
ies at the airport.

Rosko said the capital regional
district and native bands will be
included in the negotiations.

“We're certainly looking for any
available capacity,’ Chazottes
said.

The regional district is also
seeking municipal sites which can
be used to demonstrate sludge
composting, Chazottes noted.

Waste disposal was also dis-
cussed at the June 4 meeting. A
one-day collection of hazardous
and plastic waste was proposed for
all three Peninsula municipalities.

Safety issues arising from the
upgrade of the Pat Bay Highway
were discussed.

Central Saanich representatives
opposed the provincial govern-
ment’s delay in upgrading the
Island View interchange because
of the safety hazard involved while
North Saanich and Sidney are
concerned about the additional
traffic at Wain Road and Beacon
Avenue caused by closing the
McDonald Park Road intersection.

Both municipalities plan to
approach the Ministry of High-
ways for funding to upgrade high-
way feeder roads like McDonald
Park Road, Chazottes said.

All three municipalities sup-
ported a bicycle trail network,
especially if it is done as part of
the Pat Bay Highway upgrade.

Participation of Central Saanich
in funding the Panorama Leisure

Centre was also discussed. Central
Saanich is to hold a referendum on
funding the centre this fall, Cha-
zottes said.

Rosko proposed a joint inter-
municipal grant structure similar
to the grant structure in Victoria.

Although all three municipalit-
ies have no grants policies, Rosko
noted the newly-formed commun-
ity arts council will require munic-
ipal funding in order to become
eligible for provincial funds.

Chazottes expected North Saa-

nich would maintain the present
no-grants policy.

“Tm really encouraged by these
meetings,” he said. “We now real-
ize we have common concerns and
we can share the solutions.”

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in mind when conducting the
review.

Most concern maintaining the
residential character, quiet nature
and environment of the town,
while providing citizens with suit-
able housing, recreation facilities,
parks and leisure activities.

Others are to provide shopping
areas, orderly industrial and com-
mercial development and safe traf-
fic planning.

Over the next eight weeks, the
APC will promote the OCP review
to residents and formulate a ques-
tionnaire to distribute to house-
holds and businesses.

Community plan workshops are
slated for September, and later in
the fall the APC hopes to recom-
mend to council the extent to
which the OCP should be revised.

In January, terms of reference
will be drawn up if a technician is
needed to draft amendments or a
new plan.

According to the APC’s timeta-
ble, the public meetings would
begin soon thereafter on the draft
plan.

Amos said the public meetings

“are just excellent” because the
commission needs to know where
people stand.

“There’ll probably be a few
dust-ups,” he said, between those
wanting to preserve the status quo
and those wanting development
and faster growth.

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