City of WL ask public to comment on new Draft OCP

City wants to hear from residents about draft Official Community Plan

At the Regular Council meeting on Tuesday January 25, 2010, City staff presented a draft of the Creating Our Future – Draft Official Community Plan for community review and comments. After a two-year “Imagine Our Future” process, many public engagement events, comments, community, staff and Council workshops, Council and staff are very excited to share this new document with the community.
In the summer of 2010 Council approved the Imagine Our Future –Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) as the overarching document for the City that will guide the development of other policies, plans, projects, practices and procedures. With the ICSP adopted by Council, staff and the consulting team have been working to translate the Imagine Our Future transition strategies into the policies of the Official Community Plan (OCP) to ensure land use planning is aligned with the long term vision of the community.

“Many ideas and topic we have heard from the community in the last two years are contained in this document in some form or another” says Councillor Geoff Bourdon, who read the entire document in an evening on his laptop. “Now it is time to find out if the community feels the same way.”

Mayor Kerry Cook says, “This document effects everyone in the community, and it is important to ensure that everyone knows about it and that it represents the direction our community members envision for Creating Our Future.”

The City of Williams Lake wants to hear from you! In the coming months staff will be planning activities that will provide an opportunity for members of the community to be aware of the Draft Official Community Plan, provide feedback, and work to create a responsive citizen-centered system. Ultimately, members of the community will share in the challenges of implementation and take pride in the successful implementation of the new Official Community Plan

What is the Purpose of the OCP?

The OCP serves as a foundation for all policies, regulations, and decisions pertaining to land use and development in a municipality. The Plan provides guidance for economic, environmental, physical design and development, and social considerations. It promotes quality of life, future growth, community development, economic, environmental and social well-being, provision of amenities and services, and transportation systems envisioned by the community.

The OCP is intended to provide a degree of certainty for the future of our community. As a result, it is expected that revisions will not be made on a frequent basis but the Plan must be flexible in responding to changing conditions and values. This version of the OCP is expected to guide the City up to 2016. At that time, the Plan may be reviewed and updated as necessary.

How Can I Read the Draft OCP?

The Draft Official Community Plan can be downloaded from the City’s Web Site or http://www.imagineourfuture.ca/ or you can contact Ken MacInnis at 250-392-8488 to request a hard copy. Watch for discussions on the City’s Imagine Our Future Facebook page. “We’re interested in both your comments on, and your questions about the Draft Official Community Plan,” says Liliana Dragowska, ICSP coordinator for the City of Williams Lake.