Blewett opts out of RDCK’s official community plan
By Nelson Daily Staff
by Suzy Hamilton, The Nelson Daily
Blewett will not be part of the Regional District of Central Kootenay’s Official Community Plan (OCP) for Area E.
Twice as many residents voted to opt out of the plan, with 157 votes against and 76 votes in favour.
About a third of the residents voted in the plebiscite, with 233 votes counted.
Area E director Ramona Faust called for the vote after she concluded that the opinions from an earlier survey were inconclusive.
“The people of Blewett have spoken, and Blewett and Highway 6 will be excluded from the plan area,” said Faust.
“Those people that went door to door and canvassed the phones, although perhaps with imperfect information, have succeeded in bringing forward a community position and I will respect that.
“That’s grass-roots,” she said.
RDCK staff are revising the Official Community Plan map to take to the RDCK Board later this month she added.
The OCP without Blewett will go forward to a public hearing later in the spring to make sure all requested changes in land use and text have been captured. The public is invited to review the revised document on the RDCK website.
“Residents in Blewett have chosen to not be consulted when major changes to land use take place in the community, and to let subdivision and commercial and industrial development proceed without their formal input, much as it has been in the past,” said Faust.
“I look forward to working on other community issues in Blewett.”
Balfour, Harrop/ Procter, Mountain Station and Ymir road residents will be covered by the plan.
The OCP is a document of guidelines, covering a wide range of values and expectations for future developments in Area E.
“It did not include zoning,” said Faust.
