Proposed changes to the final draft of the integrated transportation study (ITS) were presented to the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) at the March 10 planning and development committee.
Mark McMullen, SCRD manager of planning and development, suggested a number of amendments to the ITS draft, with a focus on long-term development of bypass route sections as well as improved cycling and walking pathways in various areas.
Directors discussed the proposed amendments at length, voicing their concerns over issues that pertain to their electoral areas and the needs of their communities.
Due to a time constraint, directors referred the ITS to the next community services meeting, (held March 17) for a more detailed discussion.
Watershed logging
In response to correspondence with BC Timber Sales (BCTS) and their operating plan for Mount Elphinstone, SCRD planning staff recommended the committee send a letter to BCTS informing them of their opposition to logging within the Dakota Ridge community watershed. They also recommended the committee forward additional comment to BCTS regarding the board's longstanding opposition to watershed logging.
The recommendation follows a discussion from February's planning and development committee meeting where staff was asked to report back to the board on the matter.
The committee voted in favour of the recommendation and will be corresponding further with BCTS.
Egmont Point Park
The SCRD is moving ahead with implementing further discussion with the Sechelt Indian Band (SIB) on the creation of a park at Egmont Point.
The SIB had formally notified the SCRD of its concerns in letter dated April 6, 2006. In response, the SIB and SCRD signed an agreement on Egmont Point in January 2007. On January 20, 2011, the SCRD received a letter from the SIB, regarding the proposed marine and upland park with their concerns that the SCRD had not responded to the concerns originally raised in the 2006 letter, and that the SIB are "not willing to alienate any more lands in this area or other areas of our territory and therefore cannot support the creation of a park."
In light of the recent letter, staff suggested to directors that further discussion between the SCRD and SIB was required to obtain a mutually satisfactory result. The board then moved to discuss the matter at the next Heritage Protocol advisory committee, scheduled for May 30.
