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About 50 people including irate residents, recreational groups and First Nation representatives attended the Rally in front of her Oak Bay office. -- Charles
Land rezoned to quell development, but old rules apply for WFP plan
Proposed subdivisions may not be held to 120-hectare minimum of new bylaw
Apr 15, 2008Controversial bylaws allowing the Capital Regional District to rezone a huge chunk of the southwest corner of Vancouver Island were signed by Community Services Minister Ida Chong yesterday morning.
Critics are furious that the delay has allowed Western Forest Products to apply to the province under the old rules for 319 subdivisions, including the Jordan River waterfront.
That means the subdivision plans, for acreages between two and five hectares, are grandfathered for one year after enactment of the new rules, which rezone forestry and resource lands to 120 hectare minimum.
"I think we should be calling for a massive provincial outcry against the provincial government. This has to be seen as a deliberate holdup until the forest company submitted the subdivision plan," said environmentalist Vicky Husband. "Everything the province has done so far has been to the benefit of the forest company and to the detriment of the public."
The debate started after Forests Minister Rich Coleman allowed WFP to pull 28,000 hectares of private land out of Vancouver Island tree farm licences without paying compensation and the company then provisionally sold 2,500 hectares to developer Ender Ilkay. As all sides threaten lawsuits, the CRD is planning a special meeting to enact the bylaws and Ilkay is asking for a time out.
"Western Forest Products are rushing to protect their interests, the CRD is rushing to enact the bylaws," he said. "I think both sides should now stand off and then we can have a meaningful conversation about the future of these lands."
Chong said, although the bylaws were passed by the CRD Feb. 14, they did not arrive in her office until the end of the month. "There was one outstanding matter which was not resolved until late Friday at 5 p.m. When I came in this morning and saw that matter resolved, I was then able to sign off on the bylaw," she said in question period at the legislature.
Duncan Kerr, WFP chief operations officer, said if the CRD enacts the bylaws, there appear to be grounds for a legal challenge and a letter has gone to the CRD outlining the problems.
