Village amends its community plan

by EVAN MATTHEWS

Council is seemingly happy with the Official Community Plan (OCP) as it stands.

At the Oct. 11 Valemount Council meeting, Council asked staff to review the Village of Valemount Official Community Plan and bring a “housekeeping” amendment bylaw back to council, according to a Village administrative report written by Interim- CAO, Gord Simmons.

The housekeeping amendments will, according to the Village report, in many cases, remove references to the Canoe Mountain Gondola projects and replace with references to the Valemount Glacier Destinations Resort (VGD).

Council considers the current OCP – penned in 2006 – “quite satisfactory at the present time,” and the Village will consider a more extensive re-write of the OCP if and when VGD comes to function, the report says.

Changes will also be made to the relationship with and references to the Brent Harley study, which was conducted originally in 2004, in order to bring the OCP forward to 2016.

Brent Harley and Associates conduct feasibility studies, which evaluate and analyze study areas to determine economic potential.

Data including population, schools and labour force will also be update, the report reads, as well as an expansion to the “affordable housing” section providing direction for Council to consider in the future.

No changes are proposed to land designation maps (zoning) or Development Permit Areas, according to the report.

Pending Council’s approval, an open house for the public to drop in and discuss the OCP with