Community and stakeholder input is a key step in the creation of an updated Subdivision and Development Bylaw (DRAFT Bylaw No. 0120) for the District of West Kelowna.
Municipal staff is now entering the bylaw's public consultation phase, after Council gave first reading to the draft document at the August 14, 2012 meeting:
As part of this consultation phase, the District of West Kelowna will be consulting with the Urban Development Institute and the local land development industry, including commercial developers, builders, trades and contractors. The municipality will be consulting Neighbourhood Associations and the general public. Referral agencies will be provided copies of the bylaw and provided opportunities to provide feedback.
You may provide your input to the District of West Kelowna, before September 30, by calling 778-797-8830 or emailing planning@districtofwestkelowna.ca.
WHY IS THE BYLAW BEING UPDATED?
West Kelowna is a young municipality, incorporated in December 2007. At the time of incorporation, the District of West Kelowna continued to use some of the bylaws that the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) had created for the community, when it was a rural electoral area.
Until now, the District of West Kelowna has been using RDCO Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw No. 704, 1996 and the bylaws of the former Westbank and Lakeview Irrigation Districts. RDCO Bylaw No. 704, as it pertains to the area now known as the District of West Kelowna, was last substantially updated in 1996. Rapid growth has occurred in West Kelowna since then, and the rural standards outlined in these bylaws are no longer providing sufficient guidance or direction for the urban development that is now taking place in the municipality and the modern infrastructure that residents and businesses are expecting.
The Subdivision and Development Bylaw must also be updated to incorporate the recommendations of the Official Community Plan and several new Master Plans covering agriculture, drainage, parks and recreation, transportation, water, the waterfront and the Westbank Centre.
An extensive review of the Zoning Bylaw has also occurred and the District of West Kelowna's updated Subdivision and Development Bylaw No. 0120 will reflect any amendments to the Zoning Bylaw.
When Council has adopted the new Subdivision and Development Bylaw No. 0120, the former RDCO Bylaw No. 704, as it applies to the District of West Kelowna, will be repealed.
PURPOSE OF THE BYLAW
Creation of a Subdivision and Development Bylaw is authorized unde Section 938 of the Local Government Act. The bylaw enables a municipality to regulate land use and require works and services as part of subdivision or development of land.
The District of West Kelowna uses the bylaw to process and respond to subdivision or development applications. Having one updated bylaw ensures consistency in applying criteria when processing development applications and responding to any issues that arise concerning subdivisions and development servicing.
CONTACT US
To learn more, please contact the District of West Kelowna's Development Services Division at: