Opinion Volume 79 Issue No.28 TheReview Wednesday, July 10,1991 — AG a PENINSULA BEACHES AND Lakes \ | /,) APE AMONG THE CLEANEST AND 2 ia MOST INVITING ON SN | C. Saanich community plan: Get the whole story The process of reviewing the official community plan in Central Saanich has been going on since before the last municipal election. And it’s not over yet. Generally, official community plans are boring documents, filled with general guidelines to be used by a municipal council when it is considering rezoning applications, other proposed changes in land use and requests for bylaw amendments. Therefore, although the official community plan does not result in any land actually being rezoned, it is a powerful tool that council has an obligation to follow. Usually, as was the case in Central Saanich, a private consulting firm is hired to gauge the majority of the community’s opinion toward future planning decisions. Based on the results of questionnaires, public information meetings and private meetings with special interest groups the planning consultant drafts a preliminary report for council’s consideration. That happened a long time ago. The draft plan was considered by the previous council, amended, brought back, then sent to the public, referred to the province’s Agricultural Land Commission for comment, brought back and amended again, then brought back to the public again. Now it is in the process of being amended again. The difference between proposed amendments on the table now and previous amendments is significant. Past amend- ments were a result of overwhelming public concem. The current amendments are brought forward as a council initiative. Ald. Clarence.Bolt, whose planning and zoning committee is responsible for many of the proposed amendments, should be commended for ensuring that the latest proposed amendments are available to the public in a readable form. He steadfastly maintains that all public comment on the proposed amendments will be considered before council will approve the community plan, as amended. Bolt is also attempting to limit the amount of misinforma- tion about the proposed amendments. But Bolt appears to be bias toward “maintaining the rural character of Central Saanich’’ and is guilty of giving selected pieces of information that do not tell the whole story. In defense of his position Bolt states that the first draft of the OCP put before the previous council recommended “using over SOO acres of Agricultural Land Reserve land for development.” Any responsible citizen taking that statement at face value would be shocked. But, unless questioned further, Bolt doesn’t say the first draft plan recommended only 196 acres of the 500 acres for residential development over the next 20 years. Over 300 acres was recommended for future golf courses, a permitted use on ALR land. Other information does not tell a complete story. Bolt says: “To designate Mt. Newton as ‘rural’ instead of “urban reserve’ and Tod Inlet as ‘rural’ instead of ‘urban’ fits in with what the OCP says is the ‘rural nature of Central Saanich.’ No properties have been rezoned as a result of the changes.” The OCP is a planning tool, not a rezoning application. Should a Mt. Newton Slopes property owner apply for residential rezoning it is simple for council to reject the application on the grounds that it does not conform to the area’s ‘rural’ designation in the OCP. Citizens of Central Saanich should take Bolt’s advice, pay the $5 at the municipal hall for a copy of the OCP and its proposed changes, form an opinion and get ready for public hearings. We don’t advocate a 10 per cent growth rate. But we recognize growth has to go somewhere. Preparing for growth with a long-term realistic plan may prevent a backlash by a future council to another extreme. ! Hes nee EIN Mina vel VANCOUVER ISCAND... = - OFTEN JUST ‘SKIN DEEP’. = Pa antl i Vat \e! i i iil TheReview Serving The Saanich Peninsula Since 1912 9726 First Street Sidney, B.C V8L 3C9 or PO. Box 2070 Sidney, B.C V8L 3S5 Second Class Mail Registration #0128 656-1151 Publisher: Ken Chyz Editor: Glenn Werkman AN ISLAND PUBLISHERS NEWSPAPER cy =, =] err == focumeme ~ xD YU = ljcommapery VERIF! pietoten} CIREULATION 7 PRIZE WINE, STAN COMM Una Hats off fo the greai volunieers Editor: In celebration of Sidney’s 100th birthday, many interesting activi- ties have been planned, but I would particularly like to com- ment on the Pioneer Dinner at Silver Threads on June 22nd, and a Pioneer Tea and Fashion Show at Beechwood Village on June 22nd. It is not always easy for seniors to write and express themselves, but in speaking to many of them, they were unanimous in their praise for Rowena Nunn and her daughters for volunteering to pre- pare a very excellent dinner at Silver Threads — many said it was the best they had enjoyed for some time. As well, those who attended the Pioneer Fashion Show and Tea were equally enthusiastic about the wonderful service and delight- ful tea which had been so ably organized by Clarice Coty and her many helpers. In this Centennial year, as throughout other years, the many volunteers in and around Sidney certainly rally round when their help is needed and, on behalf of many seniors who have done their bit in past years I want to say that our hats are off to them all! Bea. Bond Sidney No comparision Editor: Rita, Mel and the rest of that merry band of Socreds keep trying to compare a Harcourt NDP gov- emment to Bob Rae’s New Demo- crats in Ontario. In that case I think it’s only fair to compare our beloved Social Credit Party to the Socreds in other provinces. What? There are no Socreds in any other province? Exactly! Sue Stroud Central Saanich Postal problems Editor: You pay for a Double-Registered letter — pink card to be returned to you. It never comes. Check with the postal outlet — fill out form after form as to why not receiving it. My mailbox is at the curb with rural route mail disappearing fre- quently. I have to rent a box at the Post Office to insure postal deli- very, aS companies sending prod- ucts say we have them and we never did. Complain to Post Master about these incidents. He stands there, says “Are you finished?”’ He walks away and does nothing. Asked for address in Ottawa — can’t obtain one. Have always believed it’s a Federal offence to tamper with the mail — but have to assume now this is no longer in effect. As a taxpayer why should the onus be put on me to have this checked out and something done about it? What’s wrong with the postal system of today — can anybody answer? V.L. Marks Sidney Angry about salary increase Editor: After reading the daily newspa- per last week I felt a strong urge to shoot the messenger. The cause of my anger, which now has turned to disgust, is the revelation of Victoria Hospital Society administrators’ salaries. Having received increases of up to 54 per cent in the last two years, the top six people are now paid almost three-quarters of a million dollars. Who knows how much more goes to the rest of the staff? How can president Herman Crewson call this a good deal while people are dying waiting to get into hospitals that have had to close beds and under-utilize oper- ating rooms because of staff short- ages caused by this distribution of funds? This scandalous situation must be rectified immediately. A good start would be to roll back this excessive allotment to administra- tive salaries, paid by the over taxed residents of B.C. I urge every caring person to write to the Min- ister of Health demanding a reduc- tion in these excessive administra- tion salary costs in the G.V.H.S. Hon. Bruce The address is: Stracken, Room 310, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4 Leslie W. Page Saanichton a About constitutional reform and Quebec Editor: As there is, and has been, so much furor re the status of Quebec in Canada it is, in my opinion, time to tell that province to go ahead, separate and form its own government. If they decide to do so they should make their own laws, col- lect their own taxes and establish relations with foreign powers. They should also print their own currency and economic ties with the English speaking could still be maintained. All present federal government offices should be withdrawn from ~ Quebec province. As a concerned Canadian I say “Enough is enough.” Hubert de Burgh Sidney Province must siop expansion Editor: John Wood’s letter to the editor (Marina has no public moorage, The Review June 26) re: Port Sidney Marina’s proposed expan- sion was correct in indicating that | the final decision whether to grant a monopoly of the whole publicly en financed harbor to one private ~' marina rests with the provincial government, not the Town of Sid- ney. MLA Mel Couvelier granted one million dollars of provincial monies for the breakwater only on the condition that no private monopoly was involved. He must take the necessary action to stop any kind of giveaway. The opinion that our waterfront must not be given away to a private monopoly was shared by then Minister of Fisheries Tom Siddon, and our then local MP Pat Crofton: A letter received by the Town of Sidney from the department of | Lands and Forest dated 26th April 1991 said: “This confirms Mr. Continued on Page A8_