I was correctly quoted in The Chief ['s Town Hall meeting report] 3 weeks ago, suggesting Council should prioritize completing the OCP Review.
Yes, OCP completion - but not quick approval of the present Draft document!
The current OCP revision was undertaken, for the first time, with major help of Vancouver consultants. The same firm was responsible for the Growth Management Strategy study referred to throughout.
This involvement of out-of-towners may account for the Draft OCP's lacking acquaintance with characteristics (and names) of landscape features and physical geography, existing industry's infrastructure issues, and aspects of planning history.
For example, the "port of Squamish" is redefined as just the Squamish Terminals Ltd. dock. Site B log-handling, and future barging and cruise ship terminals should also be understood as part of our "port".
Also unknown to the authors, the Blind Channel is most definitely part of our "estuary" - and our Estuary Plan!
The OCP Draft and GMS documents date from before the housing boom bust.
Their scenarios and concerns (or lack thereof) reflect their time, 3 to 4 years ago - and also an earlier municipal policy environment. Economic development strategy is under review, and this will not be reflected in the present document.
Among the GMS reports is a graph showing sharply diverging curves for population vs local jobs growth - a picture simply accepted in the study as the likely future.
This 2005 study was explicitly preoccupied with identifying more land for housing, and not for family-wage employment activities.
What should be at least promised in a new OCP is a long overdue employment lands inventory. But this is not among the several TO-DOs highlighted in the document.
The affordable land supply and neighbourhood interface challenges already with us today cannot be ignored.
Ad hoc planning ("site specific consideration") of locations for new 'heavy' industry in the Squamish valley is only asking for problems. And 'value-added' is not necessarily 'light' industry.
The OCP Citizens' Advisory Committee (disbanded in Nov. 2005) should perhaps be reconvened - or some such working group established, to re- review the document thoroughly and complete certain consultations.
There is no need or value in our adopting this present Draft OCP - not for neighbourhoods, housing developers, or investors in job-creating enterprise.
Best to get started on necessary collaborative work to finish the job properly, and soon.
Eric Andersen
Squamish
