Several key items were listed during the recent Village of Canal Flats regular council meeting held at the Columbia Discovery Centre on Monday, August 25th. Among them were the deferral of the third reading of an application to rezone land within the municipality, a presentation by the WSP (previously Focus Corporation) group planner on the 20-year capital plan, rebranding initiatives, and a recommendation from staff to defer the discussion of a No-Smoking Bylaw.
Deferral of the third reading of the Zoning Amendment Bylaw #164 (deleting an A-2 Rural Residentiail (Country) Zone designation and adding RES-1 Recreation Accommodation Zone) was decided upon and agreed to by zoning applicant Benny Benson of Benny Boyz Ventures Ltd. after discerning that information submitted in the original plan needed time to develop into a fully comprehensive and detailed report. The request was made by residents based on an open house discussion that took place on Monday, August 11th. Mr. Benson is currently finishing the plans.
“I felt a shift in the audience and as council we decided that we really need more information — it’s a very important decision and we don’t take it lightly,” said Canal Flats mayor Ute Juras.
A presentation by Scott Fash of the WSB Group on planning initiatives for the village outlined the proceedings for creating focus groups geared toward developing the 20-year capital plan. Commercial, residential, and recreational developments were discussed in an insightful overview of the village’s potential.
Village rebranding initiatives were also discussed and will be implemented by creating community, business and residential profiles online.
“They will be compiled in a way that is friendly and will encourage people to invest in what the village has to offer,” said Mayor Juras.
The recommendation for a No-Smoking Bylaw for public areas has been deferred until 2015 for a strategic planning session. “The public needs more information and education on this issue — however, we’re seeing people complying without the Bylaw. We want to handle this slowly, so that everyone has all the information from the correct sources,” said Mayor Juras.