A number of local residents came to an open house on the proposed Bylaw 500 at Sooke council chambers on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
District planner Tracy Olsen spoke to the assembled and explained the reasons for the open house.
Apart from the lack of public notification, staff is looking at other issues which came forward after Bylaw 500 was passed and adopted by council in 2011. It replaced Bylaw 270.
Olsen said the bylaw shows significant changes to various zones in Sooke and they are examining some of the impacts of Bylaw 500 on properties. Proposed changes include setbacks and densities in the Manufactired Home Park Zone, a reduction in the minimum lot size in the Rural Residential Zone, as well as deletion of the CD10 zone.
Council will be looking at six options in the Rural Residential Zone. In Sooke there are eight neighbourhoods where there are large blocks of land zoned RU4 which will be affected in varying degrees. There are 178 lots in the RU4 zone, in areas such as Whiffin Spit, Sooke River Road, Kaltasin, Otter Point/Pascoe Roads and Gateway residential.
Mayor Wendal Milne said that some of the changes to the zoning in the town centre were meant to stimulate growth in the core area.
He told those in attendance that if their property was affected by the changes, they should “tell us.”
“We will try to make people as happy as we can,” he said. “There’s a lot of good work done on Bylaw 500.”
He added Bylaw 500 can not be in conflict with the Official Communitiy Plan.
“Bylaw 500 will remain intact with minor changes,” said Milne.
Property owners can look on the District of Sooke’s website to ascertain whether their properties are affected by any Bylaw 500 changes.
http://sooke.ca/EN/main/government/devservices/planning/zoning_bylaw
A second open house is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012 at the municipal hall between 4 and 8 p.m. Presentations will be made at 5 and 7 p.m.