Belcarra residents will get their last chance next week to comment on a growth plan for the semi-rural waterfront village.
But the draft official community plan (OCP) shows that little change is anticipated for the municipality over the next five to 10 years.
The OCP bylaw, which council gave second reading last Monday, proposes one to two new homes a year but no commercial or industrial development as well as no new roads, parks or schools.
It predicts Belcarra's population will rise from 700 to 1,000 residents by 2041 - a number that corresponds with Metro Vancouver's regional estimates.
It notes, however, that if the 76-acre former Camp Howdy lands are developed for market housing, Belcarra would reach its population target earlier (the OCP permits a density of one home per acre).
Bill Morrell, a Metro Vancouver spokesperson, said if the Metro board does not adopt its proposed regional growth strategy soon, Belcarra's regional context statement - meshing municipal and regional growth projections - would apply under the current 1996 Liveable Region Strategic Plan, which the RGS is expected to replace.
Belcarra's draft OCP, which is available on the village website and has been reviewed by a number of agencies, including the village of Anmore and the city of Port Moody, highlights land use, water use, transportation and environmental policies. Among them:
allowing no commercial uses in Belcarra regional park other than for passive recreational activities;
encouraging shared wharves as well as carriage homes;
implementing a water-conservation plan for the new municipal water system;
protecting the forested character within Belcarra Regional Park and Indian Arm Provincial Park;
and reducing the community's carbon footprint.
It also includes village reports (i.e., Bedwell Bay Sustainability Plan) and provincial regulations that weren't in effect when the last OCP was adopted 15 years ago.
Mayor Ralph Drew said an OCP working group was struck in 2009 and met once or twice a month to hash out details. It held two information sessions with the public; council also hosted a community open house to gauge feedback. "It's pretty much a status-quo OCP," Drew said. "We've done some tinkering here and there but the community wants, more or less, to see minimal change."
The public hearing on Belcarra's draft official community plan (OCP) will be held on Monday, June 27 at 7 p.m. at the municipal hall, 4084 Bedwell Bay Rd.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
