Province asked to allow building

By LACHLAN LABERE Black Press Aug 31 2007 http://www.saobserver.net/

The Columbia-Shuswap Regional District is calling on the province to rescind a temporary delay order on marina development on Shuswap and Mara lakes. At the start of the recent board meeting, a letter signed by chairman Marty Bootsma was distributed to directors. It asks Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell to rescind an Aug. 9 bulletin that states that until further notice, no new or amended applications for commercial docks, commercial marinas or strata moorage on either lake will not be accepted. This temporary delay is expected to last until the completion of the Shuswap Lake Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP), expected to be complete in the summer of 2008.

Bootsma says the CSRD is currently working on official community plans throughout the Shuswap to address matters of development, and that the “province’s actions have completely undermined that process and have removed the opportunity for public comment.” Bootsma’s comments reflect those made by Sicamous Mayor and CSRD director Lorraine March in a letter from the District of Sicamous to the province also asking that the moratorium be rescinded. “We’re looking at probably a billion dollars of investment going into our community that could be held up at their end because of the uncertainty this bulletin has created,” said March. Salmon Arm director Kevin Flynn related the moratorium to the recently begun, multi-government agency Shuswap Lake Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP), which Flynn says has failed to include in its steering committee representation from his own municipality, as well as Sicamous and Chase. “I was appalled at that, and I am equally appalled at the fact that this moratorium would be brought into place with no consultation, with no discussion,” said Flynn. Bootsma, who also sits on the SLIPP steering committee, noted the moratorium is not an initiative of SLIPP.

The only person around the boardroom table with anything positive to say about the delay was South Shuswap Electoral Area C director Ted Bacigalupo. “Whether it was done the right way, I’m not sure,” said Bacigalupo. “But there was a sigh of relief, at least in my community, that this falls directly in line with what we’re doing in terms of OCP and liquid waste. It gives us time to do that without development getting ahead of that planning process.” Phil Hallinan, the local regional manager for the Fraser Basin Council, the organization that provided the funding for the SLIPP plan, is careful to separate SLIPP from the moratorium. “We’ve always said we never asked for a moratorium,” said Hallinan. “Having said that, I don’t necessarily believe that the moratorium is a bad thing or a good thing. We just have no position on the moratorium at all.” Hallinan agrees, however, there are issues occurring around the lakes that need to be addressed, that he hopes to see addressed with the final strategy devised through the SLIPP plan. “Nobody’s really stood back and said this is how we’d like to see the Shuswap develop,” said Hallinan. “And there’s room there for developers… But nobody seems to sing from a common theme, which is the lake.”

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http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2007AL0048-001077.htm SHUSWAP AREA FORESHORE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY REFINED

KAMLOOPS – The Province is refining the process for commercial foreshore development on Shuswap and Mara lakes after consultation with local governments. The Province supports a sustainable approach for planning the future of Shuswap and Mara Lakes. This approach ensures the needs of competing interests are carefully balanced while protecting the environment, so that these lakes can continue to be enjoyed, both now and in the future. A temporary delay on accepting and making final decisions on commercial applications was implemented on Aug. 9, 2007. At that time it was indicated that until further notice the Province would not accept new or amendment applications for commercial docks, commercial marinas or strata moorage on the lakes. In order to ensure that provincial policies and procedures are consistent and fair to all, the following refinements to the process for commercial foreshore development are now being implemented:

· As stated previously, the Province will continue to work on commercial applications already within the system. Now however, final decisions will be made on these applications provided the proponent has written support from local government in the form of a council resolution, and has all the other necessary approval processes complete.

· The Province will continue to accept and process commercial applications from proponents who had been working prior to Aug. 9 with the agencies involved in the approvals process.

The Province, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Fraser Basin Council, Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Thompson-Nicola Regional District are working together to conduct the Shuswap Lake Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP), and their findings are expected in the spring of 2008.