New Dates: Information Meeting and Public Hearing

Tags:  2024 | News Release
Date Released: June 26, 2024

Following the postponement of Monday’s public hearing to consider Amending Zoning Bylaw No. 722.9 and 337.123, new dates are now available for both the public hearing and a public information meeting open house that will take place prior to the public hearing.

The purpose of the zoning bylaw amendments is to strengthen the protection of riparian areas (land beside freshwater) and shorelines in the Electoral Areas and update Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) bylaws to meet legislative requirements and provincial guidelines.

Get Informed – Public Information Meeting

Understanding that there is a lot of interest and questions about the proposed amendments, the SCRD will host a public information meeting prior to the rescheduled public hearing.

Date: July 4, 2024
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Sunshine Coast Regional District Boardroom, located at 1975 Field Road, Sechelt

The meeting will be hosted in an open house format, allowing participants to drop in at their convenience during the designated hours. An information station for each proposed amendment will provide an opportunity for community members to have one on one conversations with staff on these proposed changes.

It will provide an opportunity for community members to ask questions, share feedback, and gain a deeper understanding of the proposed amendments.

Respectful questions and dialogue are invited. SCRD has zero tolerance for disrespectful communication and behaviour per SCRD’s Respectful Workplace Policy.

Get Informed – Online

Residents can continue to get informed about these proposed amendments and ask questions at any time here on the Let’s Talk Platform.

Please note that the questions you ask via the Let’s Talk platform will not form part of the public record for the Public Hearing.

Rescheduled Public Hearing

The rescheduled public hearing will take place on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. Members of the public can join virtually / online or in-person at the SCRD’s Main Administration Building on Field Road in Sechelt. Further information can be found at https://www.scrd.ca/public-hearings.

About the Proposed Amendments

  • To date, the amendments have been referred to the Advisory Planning Commissions (APC) and relevant agencies, an APC workshop was delivered, and the bylaws have passed first and second readings. Staff reports are posted on the Let’s Talk page.
  • Two of the three proposed amendments are housekeeping amendments which seek to bring SCRD bylaws into alignment with Provincial legislation, regulations, and guidelines.
  • The third amendment is not required for legislative alignment, however, is an opportunity to provide clarity to property owners and their contractors to prevent encroachment into protected riparian areas.

A reminder that if you are planning work in a riparian assessment area, please visit www.scrd.ca/streams. This webpage includes information on stream and riparian protection, including what steps are required before developing or altering land within 30 meters of a watercourse or top of bank.