Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw Review Open House – December 11th, 2023
Monday, December 11th, 2023 at Manson’s Hall between 1 pm and 4 pm.
Campbell River, BC – The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) is resuming its review of the Electoral Area B, Cortes Island, Zoning Bylaw, and invites community members to provide their input into the final document.
A zoning bylaw assigns regulations and zones to both land and water within a local government jurisdiction, such as Cortes Island, and specifies what kind of development and activities are permitted within each zone. For example, zoning may regulate the following on a property:
- Land use (e.g. residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, etc.);
- Short Term Rentals (STRs) / Vacation Rentals;
- Home-based businesses, which may include Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs);
- Rural land use density and minimum lot size;
- Residential density in the form of the number and types of dwelling units permitted on a property (single-family dwellings, secondary suites and/or accessory dwelling units);
- Maximum size and height of buildings and structures;
- Required setbacks from lot lines and maximum lot coverage;
- And, more.
In 2017, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) initiated a process to review and update Bylaw No. 2455, being the Electoral Area ‘I’ (now Electoral Area ‘B’), Cortes Island, Zoning Bylaw, 2002. After a series of delays, the Zoning Bylaw is now ready for its final refresh. Given the age of the document, a full review of the bylaw is required to ensure it is compliant with changes in legislation and reflects the vision, goals, objectives, and policies of the Cortes Island Official Community Plan (OCP), which was developed with the community between 2010 and 2012.
“We are very excited to resume this process and present a document that reflects the vision of the residents of Cortes Island as identified within the OCP and a level of regulation that is acceptable for the uniqueness of the area,” says Aniko Nelson, SRD Senior Manager, Community Services. “We acknowledge that there has been a shift in priorities for many areas since the draft document was initially provided in 2018 and are keen to adopt a document that will provide the most appropriate regulation for today”.
The SRD looks forward to your participation in the drop-in event scheduled to take place on Monday, December 11th, 2023 at Manson’s Hall between 1 pm and 4 pm. Community involvement is essential to ensure the Zoning Bylaw aligns with the vision of the OCP and best reflects the values of those who call Cortes home as they relate to:
- Permitted uses (i.e. residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, marine, etc.);
- Short Term Rentals (STRs) / Vacation Rentals;
- Rural land use density and lot size;
- Residential housing density and permitted housing types.
For more information about this project please visit: www.srd.ca/cortes-zoning-bylaw-review
Media contact:
Aniko Nelson – Senior Manager, Community Services 250-830-6708 | anelson@srd.ca