Sept 29, 2009
In a 13-page submission, ELC Program Director, Deborah Curran, and ELC Articled Student Micah Carmody have made five specific recommendations regarding the Capital Regional District’s (CRD’s) proposed bylaws to establish zoning and land use policies for the 132,000 hectares of Rural Resource Lands in the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area. Curran and Carmody praise the CRD in the submission for being a “leader in regional sustainability and an exemplar of smart growth principles,” but urge the district to ensure the proposed bylaws are consistent with the area’s Regional Growth Strategy, Official Community Plan and commitment to climate action. The submission stresses, “Planning for development in the Rural Resource Lands must be driven by the regional vision, not by development pressures.”