As coloured balls of paper flew through the air at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt Thursday afternoon, members of the crowd were directed to scoop one up.
The “snowstorm” activity was part of a workshop held to gather feedback from residents regarding updates to the District of Sechelt’s official community plan (OCP) in partnership with shíshálh Nation and Sunshine Coast Regional District.
As part of the exercise, participants were asked to write three words they’d best use to describe Sechelt on the papers, before tossing them in the air — and the results were varied. “Dying, dishevelled, dumpster," "rundown," "scary with homelessness," "crime," "inclusive," "community" and "friendly," were just some of the descriptors the crowd shared.
What is an official community plan?
According to the district's website, an OCP is a vital tool because it helps influence the way the community will grow and develop by guiding how land can be used. “Land use and development influence all parts of our daily lives: where we live, work and play.” The OCP is a living document and is updated as Sechelt grows.
What is a Community Land Development Analysis?
As part of the OCP update, the district is developing a Community Land Development Analysis (CLDA).
The four lenses that form the foundation of the CLDA –– housing, transportation, infrastructure and daily needs –– assist in building new and related OCP policies, according to the District of Sechelt. Because the processes used in creating a CLDA and OCP are similar, including educating the public about planning processes and policy, understanding community priorities and establishing a common vision and objectives, using mapping to document existing conditions, and explore future possibilities and providing policy directions for housing, transportation, daily needs and infrastructure, the district says it makes sense for municipalities to complete them together.
Provincial legislation mandates all community plans must be updated every five years. The District of Sechelt’s 225-page OCP was last updated in 2010. The workshop, one of two identical sessions held in the afternoon and evening of Feb. 13 at the centre, was well attended and part of an ongoing public awareness campaign by the district to gather feedback. It’s expected to take at least two years to complete the updated OCP. The workshops follow a community event held last year to launch the public input process.
Andrew Allen, director of planning and development for the district, told the group gathered, the district is pleased to be working with shíshálh Nation, as well as the Sunshine Coast Regional District, which provides services to Sechelt such as transit, recreation, water and cemeteries.
He explained, the ideas discussed at the workshops will be recorded and become part of a report. He noted, despite the fact the CLDA is broken down to themes of housing, transportation, infrastructure and daily needs, it’s not as simple as that.
“There's a whole host of concerns, considerations, ideas when it comes to community building and future planning, but that's the foundation for a CLDA,” said Allen. “So, we're looking to utilize data to investigate how we accommodate growth, how we plan for the evolution of our community over time and provide recommendations for policy development. So, recommendations that come out of this will ultimately will end up in the OCP.”
Just some of the other items listed as part of the OCP discussion include land use and development patterns, environmental protections and management, parks and recreation, arts, culture and heritage, agricultural land use and natural hazard management, and more.
You can find more information and keep up to date on the OCP by visiting the district’s "Your Say Sechelt" webpage.
