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The Official Community Plan and herons

Dear Editor, Last week Sue Ellen Fast wrote, "Meanwhile municipal council is amending Bowen's official community plan to re-designate the nest site in Crippen Park from park use to commercial." While Ms.

Dear Editor,

Last week Sue Ellen Fast wrote, "Meanwhile municipal council is amending Bowen's official community plan to re-designate the nest site in Crippen Park from park use to commercial."
While Ms. Fasts' concern for the well-being of the herons is laudable, I am concerned that her interpretation is somewhat misleading.
The existing wording in the OCP restricts growth to mostly developed properties or into the historic area of the Orchard Cottages in Crippen Park behind the existing businesses, and it excludes Lot 2 of the Community Lands, which is currently part of a re-zoning proposal to accommodate long-identified needs on Bowen Island including additional seniors and children's programming space, more diversity and affordability of housing for seniors and young families, a community centre, a medical clinic and office space for heath and wellness practitioners.
The revised wording in the proposed OCP amendment is:
“Encourage new commercial development to locate within commercial areas within the Village Commercial designated area on Schedules C and C – 1A.  Village Commercial will be allowed in: the land to the north of the commercial properties on Bowen Island Trunk Road subject to an adequate interface with Crippen Regional Park; the northern corners of the Miller Road/Bowen Island Trunk Road intersection;
-the area in the vicinity of the RCMP station and house located on Miller Road;
the Davies Road area; and the south side of Mt. Gardner Road.

This proposed amendment does not re-designate the nest site in Crippen Park from park use to commercial and uses precisely the same qualifying language as the original wording, “subject to an adequate interface with Crippen Regional Park."
It is intended to bring forward discussion as to what is more appropriate over the long-term for the growth of Snug Cove village: expansion into the historic Orchard Cottages area of Crippen Park behind the existing businesses along Government Road or across from existing businesses along Government Road to the strip of land bounded by municipal land to the west and the parking lot beside the library to the east.
Should there ever be agreement with Metro Parks about future expansion into either of these areas, all regulations protecting heron nesting sites would continue to be in force. These regulations are independent of zoning.

Tim Rhodes
Councillor, Bowen Island Municipality