Help Plan Lions Bay's Future

Official Community Plan update awaits your say

The last comprehensive update to Lions Bay's Official Community Plan (OCP) was 17 years ago in 2009.

According to Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell, the OCP has had several "relatively minor" amendments since then, but much of the existing plan for the Village features priorities that are nearly two decades old.

"Much of the current OCP reflects the legislative, planning, environmental, demographic, and community context that existed more than 15 years ago," says Blackwell. "This is one of the principal reasons the current review is timely. Provincial legislation, housing requirements, environmental considerations, natural hazard awareness, and planning best practices have evolved considerably since the existing OCP was prepared."

The OCP is a long-range planning document that describes the community's vision and provides direction for future decisions about matters as wide-ranging as land use, housing, infrastructure, transportation, the natural environment, hazards, and community amenities.

The intention is to update the existing OCP rather than build a whole new plan from scratch, however Blackwell says that if the process identifies an element of the current plan that requires more consideration, that will happen. "The objective is ultimately to produce an OCP that appropriately serves Lions Bay for the years ahead, rather than to preserve existing provisions simply because they are already in the Plan", Blackwell says.

This Saturday marks the first opportunity for residents to weigh in with their thoughts, concerns and questions. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Village Hall, and is open to residents of all ages.

Blackwell adds that hearing from the community will help identify which parts of the existing OCP should be retained and where change may be warranted.

Earlier this year, the Village received funding to support the process. After a public call for candidates, MODUS Planning, Design & Engagement Inc. was chosen by staff as the successful consultant. Blackwell says that MODUS is not expected to determine the future of the Village, but to bring its expertise to support the planning of the OCP process through which the community, Council, and technical information can inform the plan.

"This includes working with staff and Council, reviewing the existing OCP and applicable legislation and background information, developing policy recommendations, facilitating community engagement, and translating the results of that work into an updated OCP for Council's consideration," says Blackwell.

An OCP is intended to articulate a long-term vision for a community, and Blackwell says that resident input is essential to the process. The OCP "should not be viewed simply as Council's plan or the Municipality's plan," says Blackwell. "It is intended to articulate a long-term vision for Lions Bay and provide a policy framework to help guide the community's future."

Since most Lions Bay residents understand how the Village functions on a day-to-day basis, local voices have the most informed take on what makes the community special, what needs to be protected, and what challenges and opportunities exist for the future.

When building a new plan for a community, the Province requires OCP updates to align with a Housing Needs Report. Blackwell notes that Lions Bay already has a Housing Needs Report, and that the OCP update will consider the applicable housing information and Provincial legislative requirements as part of the planning process.

He points out that housing needs are only one element of the OCP, and must be considered alongside infrastructure capacity, environmental and natural hazard considerations, community objectives, servicing, transportation, and other local factors.

To make use of the grant funding available, this OCP update is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2026. Blackwell says the timeline is set up to allow technical review, community engagement, policy development, and Council consideration in the remaining four months of the year.

However the municipal elections scheduled for mid-October this fall mean that staff will have to contend with all the extra demands on their time that an election brings, plus a change of personnel after the new Council is sworn in.

Blackwell says that the OCP is considered a "living document", meaning that it establishes long-term policy direction for a community, but is not cast in stone, and as with the current process, is subject to change following established statutory processes.

"Residents should understand that the OCP process is an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about the long-term future of Lions Bay," Blackwell says.

He notes that the process also provides an opportunity to consider planning tools authorized by the provincial government such as Development Permit Areas and guidelines addressing matters such as natural hazards, environmentally sensitive areas, wildfire resilience, and more.

"A successful OCP should bring together community aspirations, professional planning, reliable technical information, legislative requirements, and informed Council decision-making to establish a thoughtful and durable framework for Lions Bay's future."

Official Community Plan Update

Public Info Session

10 a.m. — 2 p.m. Saturday, August 22

Lions Bay Village Hall

400 Centre Road

All residents welcome.