This page contains annotated news stories and press releases with commentary about land reform and the democratic process in British Columbia. Our comments are shown in red.
Dogwood Initiative has supported the Sea to Sea greenbelt's request for a public hearing.
Bob Wylie, the subdivision approving officer, must take into account the public interest with relation to Western Forest Products subdivision application for Jordan River and surroundings.
Please Call or Write BoB Wylie, and ask him (not if but) when the public hearing will be taking place.
He can be reached at:
Bob.Wylie@gov.bc.ca or tel: (250)-751-3278
Cell: (250)-616-6048
Bob Wylie, the subdivision approving officer, must take into account the public interest with relation to Western Forest Products subdivision application for Jordan River and surroundings.
Please Call or Write BoB Wylie, and ask him (not if but) when the public hearing will be taking place.
He can be reached at:
Bob.Wylie@gov.bc.ca or tel: (250)-751-3278
Cell: (250)-616-6048
Hearings demanded for Jordan River plans
Forest firm's bid needs public review, green group claims
Jun 02, 2008
By Judith Lavoie
<jlavoie@tc.canwest.com>
Lawyers for the Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt Society are calling for the provincial approving officer to hold public hearings before deciding on the application by Western Forest Products for 319 subdivisions on sensitive stretches of land around Jordan River, Otter Point and Shirley.
The submission, supported by community, environmental, recreation and labour groups, and some local First Nations, says it would be unacceptable for Bob Wylie, the highways ministry approving officer, to make a decision on the application in secret.
"My client takes the position that this is the most momentous subdivision application in Capital Regional District history," lawyer Irene Faulkner wrote in the submission.
"It would not only enhance urban sprawl and destroy our forests and wild coast, it would be a catastrophe for climate change," she said.
"In this day and age, such momentous decisions should not be made without full public hearings."
The forest company applied to develop the acreages, ranging from two to five hectares, just before the CRD brought in controversial bylaws rezoning much of the southwest corner of Vancouver Island to 120-hectare minimum.
The zoning changes were in response to WFP trying to sell more than 2,500 hectares of former tree farm licence land, stretching from Sooke Potholes to Port Renfrew, to developer Ender Ilkay.
WFP made the subdivision application during a hiatus when the bylaws were waiting for the signature of Community Services Minister Ida Chong.
That means the applications are grandfathered for one year.
As the subdivisions do not require rezoning, the decision will be made by Wylie.
Ray Zimmerman of the Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt Society said Wylie is in a position to permanently undermine the public's vision for the entire region and to blast a massive hole in the western side of the Regional Growth Strategy.
"A series of backroom decisions -- including the deletion of the TFL lands and the delay in the minister signing the new CRD bylaws -- has brought us to this point," Zimmerman said.
"We say the region's future must not be transformed without finally giving the public a chance to have its say."
In her submission to Wylie, Faulkner says approving officer hearings are authorized by the Land Title Act and have been endorsed by the courts.
Taking it one step further, because disclosure of information about the subdivision is clearly in the public interest, the approving officer may be required to hold a public hearing, Faulkner wrote.
However, Highways Ministry spokesman Jeff Knight said the approving officer "is only responsible for ensuring subdivisions and zonings and other provincial regulations are done in accordance with the regional district's official community plan."
He also looks at how subdivisions affect safety on the highway, Knight said.
"So the approving officer would not be the correct place to go to request a public hearing."
WFP spokesman Gary Ley said the applications should not be treated any differently than any other subdivision plans.
"We made a request to government and, from our point of view, government acted consistently with other decisions it has made on similar requests," he said.
It is not known when Wylie will make a decision on the applications.
The submission, supported by community, environmental, recreation and labour groups, and some local First Nations, says it would be unacceptable for Bob Wylie, the highways ministry approving officer, to make a decision on the application in secret.
"My client takes the position that this is the most momentous subdivision application in Capital Regional District history," lawyer Irene Faulkner wrote in the submission.
"It would not only enhance urban sprawl and destroy our forests and wild coast, it would be a catastrophe for climate change," she said.
"In this day and age, such momentous decisions should not be made without full public hearings."
The forest company applied to develop the acreages, ranging from two to five hectares, just before the CRD brought in controversial bylaws rezoning much of the southwest corner of Vancouver Island to 120-hectare minimum.
The zoning changes were in response to WFP trying to sell more than 2,500 hectares of former tree farm licence land, stretching from Sooke Potholes to Port Renfrew, to developer Ender Ilkay.
WFP made the subdivision application during a hiatus when the bylaws were waiting for the signature of Community Services Minister Ida Chong.
That means the applications are grandfathered for one year.
As the subdivisions do not require rezoning, the decision will be made by Wylie.
Ray Zimmerman of the Sea-to-Sea Greenbelt Society said Wylie is in a position to permanently undermine the public's vision for the entire region and to blast a massive hole in the western side of the Regional Growth Strategy.
"A series of backroom decisions -- including the deletion of the TFL lands and the delay in the minister signing the new CRD bylaws -- has brought us to this point," Zimmerman said.
"We say the region's future must not be transformed without finally giving the public a chance to have its say."
In her submission to Wylie, Faulkner says approving officer hearings are authorized by the Land Title Act and have been endorsed by the courts.
Taking it one step further, because disclosure of information about the subdivision is clearly in the public interest, the approving officer may be required to hold a public hearing, Faulkner wrote.
However, Highways Ministry spokesman Jeff Knight said the approving officer "is only responsible for ensuring subdivisions and zonings and other provincial regulations are done in accordance with the regional district's official community plan."
He also looks at how subdivisions affect safety on the highway, Knight said.
"So the approving officer would not be the correct place to go to request a public hearing."
WFP spokesman Gary Ley said the applications should not be treated any differently than any other subdivision plans.
"We made a request to government and, from our point of view, government acted consistently with other decisions it has made on similar requests," he said.
It is not known when Wylie will make a decision on the applications.
