Dear Editor:
I wish to comment on what the District of Summerland describes as “Urban Growth Strategy/Official Community Plan amendments.”
According to parliamentary procedural rules, “an amendment must be germane (meaning closely related) to the motion to be amended (not just some pending motion).”
The district’s new proposed amendments to the 2008 OCP include:
o removal of prime agricultural land
o removal of the primary growth area in west Prairie Valley.
o future development on flat agricultural land
o rezoning lands along highway
The fundamental principles of the 2008 OCP included:
o “maintaining the integrity of the ALR as in the 1996 OCP”.
o the primary growth area in west Prairie Valley.
o future “hillside community development”
o “avoiding highway development to maintain downtown commercial focus”
These new amendments are contrary to the fundamental principles of the 2008 OCP.
These are not amendments. This is a new OCP.
Either there is confusion over parliamentary procedures or there is an attempt to deceive the public.
Municipal council is claiming we need these amendments because Summerland’s financial problems are caused by a lousy community plan. The public has not forgotten Summerland’s multi-million dollar errors with the sewer plant, the water treatment plant, Thirsk Dam, a costly law suit and a desperately-needed RCMP station which is now underused.
That’s where the problem lies, not a shortage of developable lands.
David E. Gregory
Summerland