As soon as you say "Official Community Plan" most people's eyes will start to glaze over.
We don't blame them. These plans are usually a pretty dry read, and can serve as a decent soporific. But the thing is, they're also important.
Official Community Plans are designed to create some ground rules for our communities and provide guidance for where and how we want them to develop in the future.
All too often, people only become familiar with their area's OCP when they bump up against it, usually when there's a provision in it that's going to prevent them from doing something, like subdivide their property or build a development.
Currently the Cowichan Valley Regional District is in the process of creating a single OCP for all of the nine electoral areas. This includes, Mill Bay/Malahat, Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill, Cowichan Bay, Cowichan Station/Sahtlam/Glenora, Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls (including Mesachie Lake and Honeymoon Bay), Youbou, Saltair/Gulf Islands and North Oyster/Diamond.
While there have been opportunities for people to come out and put in their two cents worth, we bet that many people still have no idea this is going on. Having seen a number of OCPs built over the years in the area's municipalities, it's common that the number of people who take the time to take part in the process isn't overwhelming.
That's why we urge people who want to have a say to find out what's going on and jump in while they still can. There remains a public hearing that will take place this fall before the OCP moves to final consideration.
Some issues surrounding the OCP have popped up in recent weeks. Saltair residents are divided over zoning changes that are proposed for their area, while Area F (Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls) director Ian Morrison is not on board with growth containment boundaries proposed for his.
What does the OCP mean for your area?
You can find the draft OCP online at www.planyourcowichan.ca. It's a big document, and if you don't want to wade through the whole thing yourself you can call the CVRD director for your area and ask them for the highlights, including what changes could be coming for you should the new OCP be adopted. They should also be able to answer questions about any specific topic you have. If they don't have the answers off the cuff, they have access to the CVRD staff who do.
Of course, consultation does not mean they're going to make all the changes you want. But don't be the person who complains about lack of opportunity to have your say only after the whole process is over and you didn't take the chances that were available to you.
