Courtenay Hosting Virtual Sessions For Official Community Plan Updates

The City of Courtenay is set to host upcoming sessions online for the public to see what's happening with its update to the Official Community Plan.

The OCP guides long-term decisions on land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure and more.

The B.C. government requires that all local governments across the province include 20 years of housing needs in official community plans by the end of the year.

Four virtual public engagement sessions covering two different topics are happening this month.

The first, concerning housing and livability, takes place Tuesday, July 15th or Thursday, July 17th from  12pm to 1.30pm, both days.

On Monday, July 28th and Tuesday, July 29th, virtual sessions will cover growing and servicing complete communities.

The two sessions for each topic will have the same content and format, starting with a short presentation followed by questions and answers with project staff and consultants. Pre-registration is encouraged to get the virtual link in advance.

Public engagement opportunities will be shared throughout the summer and fall on the project page.

In late 2023, the Province introduced a suite of housing legislation aimed at accelerating housing supply and taking a more proactive planning approach, including updating OCPs by the end of this year, 2025 to accommodate housing needs.

For Courtenay, those needs are identified in the Housing Needs Report completed last year.

The updated OCP will build upon the existing policies of Courtenay’s current OCP adopted in 2022, and guide smart, inclusive and well-supported growth.

The OCP’s vision and values include reconciliation, climate action, equity and community well-being.

The City says the OCP update will expand housing choices by updating land use designations and associated policies, aligned with recent strategic plans and policy updates for consistency and coordination across plans.

It will also outline how growth needs to be supported by infrastructure, parks, open spaces and amenities.

Courtenay’s Zoning Bylaw will also be updated to ensure sufficient pre-zoned land for the 20-year housing need.

For more information and to register, visit Engage Comox Valley.