The regional district board discussed changes to a planned revision of the Development Procedures bylaw at the March 3 regional district board meeting.
Staff were hoping to make the current bylaw, which dates back to 1986, more streamlined and easier to understand.
Board discussion over the revamped bylaw included a debate over whether proof of water regulations should be included, which eventally resulted in a suggestion to defer the discussion to a later date.
Area “D” Director Bill Schwarz also queried whether the bylaw addressed an issue he had heard from developers, who complained that the RDOS did not provide full disclosure over what had to be done with respect to a development application.
“They complain that they have to come back again and again, and are told of something else they have to do,” he said, asking staff if the bylaw had addressed that.
Staff assured him that for “basic, everyday applications, it’s laid out.”
One change to the bylaw which the directors took exception to involved the following:
“The Board is asked to be aware that the proposed processing of a Development Variance Permit (DVP) application (Schedule 4) as well as an application to the Agricultural Land Commission (Schedule 8) does not include a referral to the relevant Advisory Planning Commission (APC) unless otherwise directed by the Board.”
Several directors were against the idea of any development application being bypassed by their area’s APC.
A suggestion to amend the recommended motion - to read the bylaw three times and adopt it - was made that would include the stipulation that the area director and APC chair be advised of any application at the beginnng of the referral process.