 |
OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN (OCP) REVISION 2022 |
In 2022, the Village completed a revision to the Village’s Official Community Plan Bylaw (OCP), through a consultative process. The work will included significant and meaningful community engagement, and gathered current values from the community, stakeholders, and special interest groups. Going through such a process will help ensure that Council decisions related to land use and development reflect the community’s desired future of Slocan. A primary result of the OCP review was to provide a vision for the community, a framework to guide community growth and certainty to residents, landowners, and the development community, as it relates to community change.
Ten years had passed since adoption of the previous OCP, and the Village was interested in incorporating changes as required by legislation, and to bring the bylaw into line with development trends suitable for the Village, focusing on areas such as housing, business, recreation, and tourism. In addition, this OCP review was to reaffirm the community’s values concerning issues such as servicing, land use, amenities, the municipality’s identity within the Slocan Valley, aspirations for sustainability and rural viability, climate change, parks and interface, Development Permit areas, and greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies and targets.
The Village has been recognized as a “community in transition”. In 2013, the Village was notified of the permanent closure of Springer Creek Forest Products sawmill, after over 40 years of service, which ultimately resulted in an abrupt decline in property tax revenue from one of Slocan’s largest and only major industry on the tax roll. In 2014, all structures on the property were demolished and removed, and the property was made available for purchase shortly after. The closure propelled the Village away from a single industry, resource-based economy, into an opportunity for creative growth and renewal. Like many rural communities, the Village is being proactive in the face of adversity, prioritizing innovative projects that aspire long-term viability, and improving short-term livability within the community. Recognizing the importance of the former mill site – not only for the future of the community but for the region as a whole, the Village successfully purchased the land in 2020. The 20-acre waterfront parcel presents an incredible opportunity for Slocan, and holds tremendous social, environmental, and economic value. This opportunity would initiate a comprehensive community planning process, resulting in preparation of a master plan for the site.
DOCUMENTS:
