Residents and community groups will have a chance to provide their feedback to the city on what is arguably the most important planning document in municipal government.
City council reviewed a draft of the proposed Official Community Plan on Monday. The 214-page document sets out goals and direction for development in the city over the next 15 years, city acting director of planning and development Dan Milburn said.
"Once an Official Community Plan is passed into a bylaw, all [other] bylaws and works that are related to it must comply to it," Milburn said. "We want to have clear objectives and policies. If a development is proposed that is at odds with that... we'll look at other areas of the city where it might be appropriate."
All municipalities in B.C. are required to have an Official Community Plan and update it every five to ten years. The current review process began in February, 2010 and two rounds of public consultation have already taken place.
Milburn said a third round of public consultation will begin today. The full plan is available on the city's web site, princegeorge.ca.
The city is planning to release additional information which breaks down the lengthy, detailed plan by areas of interest in the near future, Milburn said. Additional public consultation opportunities will also be announced soon.
"I've offered to tailor-make a presentation for any group that is interested, and that offer still stands," Milburn said.
The biggest differences between the proposed Official Community Plan and the current one is an increased focus on concentrated, infill development and incorporation of environmental and social factors into land use decisions, he said.
"We tried to reflect the input we received from the public. They want to see focused growth, they want to see increased esthetics in their neighbourhoods, they want improved air quality," Milburn said. "If you look at the plan, it's trying to incorporate all these issues."
The proposed OCP would focus new development downtown and in other locations centered on the Hart Highway, Centre Street, Ferry Avenue and the intersection of Domano Boulevard and Highway 16.
Planning consultant Peter Whitelaw of HB Lanarc-Golder said the Official Community Plan gives city staff and developers guidance on where and what types of development should occur.
The plan will also provide guidance on how the city conducts its business, including development of municipal infrastructure and sale of land, he said. However, once in place, the Official Community Plan is not set in stone.
"We've built the plan on the best available information we have, but if the future doesn't turn out the way we thought there is measures in the plan that allow changes to be made," Whitelaw said.
Public consultation on the plan will be conducted this summer, and a final draft will be presented to city council in a public hearing for approval.
No timeline for that process was announced as of press time.
