City planning draws criticism

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: August 21, 2008

The City of Vernon is being told not to dump its planning problems on rural neighbours. Cliff Kanester and Stan Field, North Okanagan Regional District directors, have provided the city with comment on the proposed official community plan, and they believe components on agricultural and industrial land uses could directly impact the BX and Swan Lake areas. “While we commend the city in the regional context section for proposing to work together and co-ordinate planning initiatives to ensure a compatible, not a competitive, environment for growth and development, a number of the proposed land use and annexation policies do not appear to support this direction,” they write in a letter.

As an example, Kanester and Field are concerned that the city deems heavy industrial uses inappropriate within Vernon and such uses are directed to lands outside its boundary. “We believe it would be appropriate for the city to look within its existing boundaries to confirm its commitment to finding viable alternatives, and to develop these alternatives in support of the economic viability and long-term sustainability of both the city and the region, not to simply push this issue on to its neighbours,” they write. Kanester insists that the BX’s land base is limited. “We don’t have any place for industry that’s not already agricultural,” he told The Morning Star. Field and Kanester also protest a policy that could exchange property in the Agricultural Land Reserve in the city for land brought in from outside Vernon’s boundaries.“It contradicts the guiding principles endorsed by council and the community to ‘protect agricultural land’ and indicates that ALR lands within the city are available for development,” they write. “We encourage you not to consider agricultural lands in NORD exchange for lands within the city boundaries.”

Mayor Wayne Lippert says the city doesn’t want any net loss of agricultural land if development occurs. “We don’t want to take things out of the Agricultural Land Reserve,” he said. “If there was land (exchanged) from outside the city, we’d consider it but there is no guarantee.” In terms of industrial uses, Lippert insists the city is working with its regional partners on the matter. “Cliff and Stan have wanted it to be region wide. We are not trying to dump anything on other jurisdictions,” he said, adding that the OCP was referred to NORD for input. “We want to work with everyone else.”