One of the tasks taken on by your SWOA Board is to monitor the CSRD Board meeting agendas and specifically applications and actions that affect waterfront property owners.
Recently we brought to your attention an application in the area of St.Ives in the North Shuswap for a proposed Bylaw amendment that would allow 18 buoys and 1 dock to be located in a residential subdivision. Several of our members were directly affected by this installation and had no knowledge of the application. Local Government Act does require that neighbours within 100 meters to be notified but that doesn’t happen until the application is well on its way to second reading. In this case letters were received just 2 weeks before the Board meeting where a decision was to be made. The other way to be informed is by the Development Application sign posted on the applicant’s property but that only works if you are out to your property at this time of year. And the final way is by seeing the notice in the local newspaper that also was just 2 weeks before the Board decision. In the St.Ives case waterfront property owners got informed in time to have their voices heard. Twenty five letters of opposition were sent in. The result was the application did not go to second reading in November as planned, the applicant revised their ask to 9 buoys and 3 docks resulting in postponing the second reading until February. At the February meeting CSRD Board members considered all information and a decision was made to allow a rezoning to Foreshore Multifamily even though the applicants do not have even one waterfront unit as described in the Bylaw. The Board followed Director Simpson’s lead and allowed 9 buoys and 2 docks.
SWOA will continue with our mandate to keep you informed of what is happening in your neighbourhood that affects our lake.
Click here for a link to an application in the Sunnybrae Canoe Point area.