Keremeos Director Manfred Bauer was surprised to encounter opposition over a routine referral of the Keremeos Official Community Plan to the regional district board on July 18.
Area “B” Director had the matter removed from the board’s consent agenda list - normally reserved for issues that are deemed to be straightforward and non-controversial - over concerns about the document’s accuracy and expressions of intent to expand into neighbouring Agricultural Land Commission property.
Oliver rural Director Allan Patton, agreed with Bush, saying that he couldn’t support village expansion into ALR lands, either.
Bush was also concerned about a description in the OCP that stated that there were 30 fruit stands in Keremeos.
Bauer agreed, noting that three fruit stands within the municipality was more correct.
He assured Bush that the document’s wording - and provincial regulations - would ensure that space within the community would be used up before any expansion would be contemplated, which would likely be many years from now.
“I understand that,” Bush replied, “the wording shouldn’t be in the OCP at all.”
A request by Director Patton for a motion to defer on the issue was clarified by Chief Administrative Officer Bill Newell. He said that the board’s responsibility was to make comments and refer them back to the Village of Keremeos as a courtesy measure only.
“It’s not our plan,” he explained, “we can’t defer it.”
The board agreed to submit its concerns to the Village of Keremeos, however, the document had already been adopted by Keremeos council at their July 15 meeting.