CSRD Bylaw 900
When buying a waterfront property, there are important steps to take to ensure you aren’t buying a previous owner’s problems. There are 3 main things to check; an archaeological data search, a review of CSRD ortho photos over time, and an examination of the state of title certificate. This article is focusing on CSRD Bylaw 900, the regulation of docks and buoys.
As background, the installation of a dock or mooring buoy requires a Development Permit (DP) application. Development Permits follow the land, not the owner. As an example, a Steep Slope DP to address natural hazards serves as a warning to future owners that their safe occupation of the lot may be conditional on doing or not doing certain things. In the case of docks and buoys, protection of the environment is the goal. While the science behind the regulations may a bit murky, the financial impact of buying a non compliant property is real.
When looking at buying a waterfront lot, the first step is to examine the CSRD’s online mapping tool (Click for link) and use the ortho photos to see if there have been any changes to the property at key points.
- Bylaw 900 was introduced in 2009 and controls the location and number of buoys, size, location and specifications of docks.
- The Official Community Plan for Area C (South Shuswap) was introduced in 2014.
- The Official Community Plan for Area F (North Shuswap) was introduced in 2009.
First, locate the property in question in the mapping tool. The ortho photos can be found at the bottom of the “layers” list in the online mapping. Click on the Orthophotos tab and the arrow to the left to see changes to a property in the years 2008, 2013, 2018, 2019, and 2023. Look for changes to the property before and after the key dates listed above. If as an example the lot is in Area C and a new dock appears in the imagery after 2014, then a quick review of the title certificate to see if a DP was issued is recorded will inform you if the dock installation was legal. If not, an after the fact DP application is required at double the cost. If the dock doesn’t meet the siting, size, or specifications, it could lead to expensive alterations, forced removal, or replacement with a new dock.
Future articles will look at other Development Permit application requirements and how a new owner may end up buying the previous owner’s problems.