Phase One – Consultation and Review
The OCP Review process was “kicked off” by a community consultation conference held on November 18, 2006 at Malaspina University-College. Approximately 200 people participated in the all day event that included keynote speakers and small group discussions. A summary of the conference is found in the report below. In addition, the presentations made by our keynote speakers and links to related sites are also provided.
In December 2006, Council authorized additional workshops to be held in order to explore key issues arising from the November conference in greater detail, including the workshop on Urban Containment Boundaries held on February 15 and the workshop on Infill and Intensification held on April 4.
Phase Two - Policy Update / Draft Plan
In the late spring of 2007, staff and the City's consultant team took the public input received in Phase One - Consultation and Review and began to develop new OCP policies that reflected the input received. This included input not only from the conference and workshops described above but also from the City's many advisory committees such as the Social Planning Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on the Environment, as well as from other City staff.
The draft policy directions were made public through the publication of three “Highlighters” (linked below) in the local newspaper which focussed on the issues of sustainability, density and growth management. The City also released a discussion paper called the sustainNANAIMO Working Paper. The purpose of the working paper is to provide a summary of Phase One, and to introduce potential changes to the OCP and make decisions on policy directions prior to preparing a draft plan document.
The release of the new Draft Plan included an OCP Online Survey to allow an opportunity for everyone in Nanaimo to provide comments on the Draft Plan. A summary of the Draft Plan and copy of the survey was made available in the 2008-MAR-13 edition of the News Bulletin and at local coffee shops, grocery stores, and community facilities. The Draft Plan document was also made available at community facilities throughout the City including community information displays at Woodgrove Mall on March 29, 2008 and at Port Place on April 5, 2008.
A Community Forum at which the public was invited to provide their comments and suggestions on the draft OCP was held April 10, 2008. The comments from this Community Forum, including Comments Sheets and results from the online survey, are noted below.
In addition, the draft Plan was circulated to both internal and external agencies such as the Snuneymuxw First Nation, the Regional District of Nanaimo, and the District of Lantzville as well as senior governments prior to finalizing the draft plan document.
Phase Three – Revised OCP and Plan Adoption
Following public consultation on the draft plan OCP, results of the consultation process were incorporated into a final revised OCP. This revised document was considered by PNAC on 2008-MAY-06, and by Council on 2008-MAY-26 at which time the plan received first and second reading. A public hearing was held on 2008-JUN-19.
Following the public hearing the Regional Context Statement was submitted to the Regional District of Nanaimo. It received RDN approval on 2008-AUG-26. The new OCP was adopted on 2008-SEP-08.