If You Live In Lantzville... (Part Deux)

Dear Neighbours and Friends,
I know it must seem like every other week that we are faced with an issue which threatens to drastically/materially affect our lives here in what-used-to be quiet, semi-rural Lantzville. This time, it is the whole community which could be at risk. I know that many of you have already filled out the survey, attended the Public Forum, Workshops and Open Houses and organized/attended the ‘Kitchen’ Meetings and I would imagine that you thought your part was done - your input would be listened to and that you could get onto things of more immediate urgency or personal satisfaction. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that we can relax just yet.
This Official Community Plan (OCP), which is now out in draft form and available from the District office or by download from http://www.lantzville.ca/ (look for it under ‘District Services’), while similar in many respects to the current one, is very different in two material aspects:
1. this OCP was created from ‘scratch’, meaning that you can’t just expect to spend an hour or two focusing on the sections that have been changed and then formulate your opinion on the document as a whole – it could take days to begin to understand all its implications
2. this OCP, once adopted, will enable the rezoning of all property in Lantzville in one ‘fell’ swoop, with only one big, public hearing between us and all the changes which are contained in the OCP. We will NOT have the chance to assess each property rezoning application as it comes up, as was the process in the past (albeit an imperfect one). I direct your attention to p. 62 of the draft under Sec. 11.10 Zoning: “Following acceptance and adoption by bylaw of this Plan, it is the District’s intention to review and revise where appropriate the zoning of lands within the municipal boundaries...”
One of the main issues which keeps coming up is that of density – it was a key concern in both of the first two, major, development proposals for the downtown core by Lantzville Projects with the majority feeling that there was just too much housing and commercial in too small a space and those densities are essentially still there (there is also no guidance on commercial sq. m in the draft OCP). If you would like one former politician’s perspective on assessing this draft OCP ‘on the numbers’ and how well survey input is reflected in the draft, go to http://www.lantzvillenews.com/ and have a look at the home page and then click on the green ‘OCP’ button on the left. If you have any information or comments to share with your fellow Lantzville residents, you can simply send an email to the webmaster at LantzvilleNews@shaw.ca.
One specific example of how these changes may limit the future options of myself and my neighbours is that, under the current CP, we may subdivide our 1-acre properties down to ½ acre if we can secure either community water or sewer service and legal access but the draft OCP would now require us to secure both of these services before we can subdivide.
With the power vested in this OCP, once approved, and the increased powers of District council granted by incorporation, it is imperative that you let your opinion be heard BEFORE the draft becomes final. There will have to be a Public Hearing on the OCP before it can be adopted but that just means that you will eventually have to address any concerns you may have and it will be eminently better to have your input incorporated before the final version.
Good luck and, if you have any questions, please contact the District office by telephone, mail or email (twyla@lantzville.ca) and provide any comments in writing to same.