This page contains annotated news stories and press releases with commentary about land reform and the democratic process in British Columbia. Our comments are shown in red.
The CRD hearing tonight is the CRD's best response to a poor decision made at the provincial level. The CRD had to act quickly and make a decision to change the zoining in a huge area, in order to retain much of the character of our beloved wild coast between Sooke and Pt. Renfrew. We must support this initiative; it buys time for local community planning and halts the potential for high density urban sprawl. It is not suprising that Duncan Kerr of Western Forest Products and Ider Ilkay the 'hopeful' developer, are not pleased with this decision. They stand to loose the most, while the vast majority of the CRD community only stands to gain from it.
Land-use rivals ready for showdown
Environmental groups expected to pack hall as proposal to rezone vast tracts of Juan de Fuca land goes to public hearing
Jan 28, 2008
By Judieth Lavoie
<jlavoie@tc.canwest.com>
Environmental groups want anyone with an interest in the removal of private forest lands from tree farm licences or those wanting to stop urban sprawl to head to Otter Point tonight.
"We want people to get out there and make statements in support of rezoning the land," said Eric Swanson of the Dogwood Initiative, explaining why environmental groups raised about $3,500 from supporters for a large advertisement in the Times Colonist.
A public hearing into the Capital Regional District's plan to freeze most development on huge tracts of land in the Juan de Fuca electoral area will be held at 7 p.m. at Otter Point fire hall.
The CRD has proposed that land stretching from Sooke Potholes to Port Renfrew be limited to lot sizes of 120 hectares.
The unusual move is in response to a decision by Forests Minister Rich Coleman to allow Western Forest Products to remove 28,283 hectares of private land from three tree farm licences on Vancouver Island, without paying compensation.
The company then put more than 2,500 hectares of high-profile land on the market, which developer Ender Ilkay has conditionally agreed to buy.
The land includes the Jordan River townsite and areas close to Sooke Potholes and Juan de Fuca Trail, and the sale provoked a public outcry.
"There's strength in numbers and we want to fill the hall with people supporting these environmentally progressive bylaws," said Maurita Prato, Dogwood Initiative forests campaigner, who is organizing car pools.
But Ilkay and Western Forests Products chief operating officer Duncan Kerr are worried the push to bring people out to the meeting will mean a flood of misinformation.
"I think what we are going to see is a lot of very well-intentioned people who are not going to be close to having the facts," Ilkay said. "They are going to speak -- and speak passionately -- without being well-informed."
The CRD decision will result in piecemeal development of the area instead of the community looking at a big plan and deciding where there should be parks and trails or where there should be cluster development, he added.
"They're going to end up with little five-acre parks here and there, and what good is that," said Ilkay, who believes that, with his plan, there would be no threat of urban sprawl.
Kerr said he would have liked to see a better community process. "It's the constant misleading I don't like," he said.
"These are privately held lands and they always have been. There's a chronic use of selective language, which is designed to deceive."
Arnie Campbell, president of the Otter Point and Shirley Resident and Ratepayers' Association, said there appears to be heavy local support for the rezoning. However, the second public hearing, to be held tomorrow, is causing more controversy.
In tandem with the forest land rezoning, the CRD is making changes to rural land.
While one change will put large parcels into the 120-hectare minimum, mostly affecting Western Forest Products and TimberWest, another change will stop the development and sale of four strata lots on four-hectare parcels.
The change is catching some landowners in the process of developing their parcels and they want a grandfather clause.
However, if the changes do get approved, it will not necessarily stop development as landowners will be able to go through a normal rezoning process, Campbell said.
"It doesn't lock the barn door," he said.
jlavoie@tc.canwest.com
"We want people to get out there and make statements in support of rezoning the land," said Eric Swanson of the Dogwood Initiative, explaining why environmental groups raised about $3,500 from supporters for a large advertisement in the Times Colonist.
A public hearing into the Capital Regional District's plan to freeze most development on huge tracts of land in the Juan de Fuca electoral area will be held at 7 p.m. at Otter Point fire hall.
The CRD has proposed that land stretching from Sooke Potholes to Port Renfrew be limited to lot sizes of 120 hectares.
The unusual move is in response to a decision by Forests Minister Rich Coleman to allow Western Forest Products to remove 28,283 hectares of private land from three tree farm licences on Vancouver Island, without paying compensation.
The company then put more than 2,500 hectares of high-profile land on the market, which developer Ender Ilkay has conditionally agreed to buy.
The land includes the Jordan River townsite and areas close to Sooke Potholes and Juan de Fuca Trail, and the sale provoked a public outcry.
"There's strength in numbers and we want to fill the hall with people supporting these environmentally progressive bylaws," said Maurita Prato, Dogwood Initiative forests campaigner, who is organizing car pools.
But Ilkay and Western Forests Products chief operating officer Duncan Kerr are worried the push to bring people out to the meeting will mean a flood of misinformation.
"I think what we are going to see is a lot of very well-intentioned people who are not going to be close to having the facts," Ilkay said. "They are going to speak -- and speak passionately -- without being well-informed."
The CRD decision will result in piecemeal development of the area instead of the community looking at a big plan and deciding where there should be parks and trails or where there should be cluster development, he added.
"They're going to end up with little five-acre parks here and there, and what good is that," said Ilkay, who believes that, with his plan, there would be no threat of urban sprawl.
Kerr said he would have liked to see a better community process. "It's the constant misleading I don't like," he said.
"These are privately held lands and they always have been. There's a chronic use of selective language, which is designed to deceive."
Arnie Campbell, president of the Otter Point and Shirley Resident and Ratepayers' Association, said there appears to be heavy local support for the rezoning. However, the second public hearing, to be held tomorrow, is causing more controversy.
In tandem with the forest land rezoning, the CRD is making changes to rural land.
While one change will put large parcels into the 120-hectare minimum, mostly affecting Western Forest Products and TimberWest, another change will stop the development and sale of four strata lots on four-hectare parcels.
The change is catching some landowners in the process of developing their parcels and they want a grandfather clause.
However, if the changes do get approved, it will not necessarily stop development as landowners will be able to go through a normal rezoning process, Campbell said.
"It doesn't lock the barn door," he said.
jlavoie@tc.canwest.com
