APC rezoning commercial, budget and young famlies leaving

Advisory Planning Committee (APC) meeting last night dealing with rezoning and other issues was well attended. I should have had mentioned the APC meeting  earlier, in order for the public to come to the meetings and hear the discussions at the Celista Hall. For those novices who are not familiar with APCs,  feeding habits; the meetings are usually the Monday before the CSRD Board meetings (which are typically the 3^rd Thursday of the month).

                The application for a rezoning change; from commercial (it was zoned for a business campsite use) to residential. The applicants are new owners and in order to get a mortgage it is easier if it is zoned as residential. The lot is 0.46 acres and is in Magna Bay, near the Ross Creek area. The discussion went towards what is allowed for camp sites in the Magna Bay area. In Magna Bay you are allowed 3 residential campsites (meaning non-commercial). What is called guest accommodation (no larger than 500 sq ft), RV sites as well as campsites are allowed but only 3 of any one of those. The recommendation was unanimous for acceptance of the application by the APC.

                At this point the discussions were handed over to me. I use the APC as a sounding board often to give me a sense of what they are hearing. What came over loud and clear is that the economy is hurting in the North Shuswap, young families are having to go else where to look for a lively hood. In that sense the CSRD should be more supportive in lessening the bureaucratic tanglings for developments (large and small) to move ahead, easier. The CSRD should be helpful when coming in to make applications, someone to lead people through the system.

The coming CSRD Board agenda (March 17^th this Thursday) has an application (1st reading) for a campsite in Magna Bay. The applicant is one of the APC members and will have to remove himself from the table when it comes up for discussion when it comes to the APC for comment. There are two bylaw introductions one the Subdivision Bylaw and the lakes Zoning Bylaw (dealing with docks and buoys). There were concerns and the need for clarifications about the budget that is coming to this Board meeting. Some concerns was the spending on; Regional Trails, Communication Coordinator, Parks and the new CSRD Office costs to name a few of the issues. Farrells Field and how it can work into the CSRD  Parks plan, what is the best way to support it and still keep the community involved with its creation.