Regional District of Nanaimo receives Development Application from Land and Water British Columbia
The Regional District of Nanaimo has received an application from Land and Water British Columbia to amend the Electoral Area H Official Community Plan (OCP) and the Regional Growth Strategy to permit the expansion of the Bowser and Qualicum Bay Village Centres to include new residential and golf course development on approximately 1200 acres of Crown Land. Each Village Centre development is proposed to include two Championship Resort Golf Courses, up to 1250 homes, as well as resort accommodation and local commercial and institutional services.
RDN staff is reviewing the application according to the requirements of the Electoral Area H OCP Community Values Statement, Development Guideline Criteria and Regional Growth Strategy so that a complete proposal can be forwarded to public information meeting(s) for public input and comments. The application review and public information meeting process will likely take at least 60 days. The Electoral Area Planning Committee will then receive the application with possible revisions in response to input from the public information meeting. The application review process will also include RDN Board approval of a consultation plan for the proposal to amend the Regional Growth Strategy.
Electoral Area Director Dave Bartram will Chair the public information meeting(s) on the proposal. "I want to ensure that Electoral Area H residents have all of the information necessary to consider this proposal and I look forward to hearing from residents during the application review process and at the public information meeting". The OCP amendment application and other proposed bylaw amendments are also subject to public hearings according to the Local Government Act.
The majority of the Crown land in question is currently designated as Resource Land and the zoning permits agriculture, aquaculture, mineral extraction, log storage and sorting, primary processing, and silviculture. If there is support to amend the Electoral Area H OCP, the RDN Board and member municipalities will also need to consider an amendment to the Regional Growth Strategy. An application to rezone the property for proposed development and to provide community sewer and water services will also be required.
To view full details of the Land and Water BC development proposal please [ Click Here ]
