OCP Amendment

The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District is made up of the following six electoral areas; "A" - Bamfield, "B" - Beaufort, "C" - Long Beach, "D" - Sproat Lake, "E" - Beaver Creek, and "F" - Cherry Creek. Each area has its own Official Community Plan (OCP).

The OCP's were developed by the Planning Department in conjunction with the area Director and Advisory Planning Commission (APC) members. Consultation through open houses and public hearings with members of the general public, area residents and property owners, and technical agencies (ie. Island Health, Provincial Ministries, First Nations, etc.) provided valuable direction and vision for future development of each of the electoral areas.

As the OCP's were developed on a broad community scale, it is sometimes necessary to make amendments based on individual development proposals on specific properties. These amendments may be required to facilitate subdivision, business development, and/or community services. This is where an application for an Amendment to an Official Community Plan would be required.

The following procedure outlines the basic steps of the OCP amendment process. Each application is unique and has the potential for various requirements to be satisfied prior to completion and adoption. An OCP amendment often accompanies a rezoning application. It is recommended that all property owners who are considering development of property consult with the ACRD Planning Department prior to application in order to identify any additional steps that may be required.

PROCEDURE:

1. Make an application. An Application for Development form can be obtained from the ACRD office and/or by

clicking here. Payment of the applicable fee will be required.For fee schedule click here.

2. Once the fee has been received, the proposal will be reviewed by the Planning Department. A report is prepared and will include recommendations and requirements as well as compliance with all relevant regulations. A specific OCP amendment bylaw is also prepared.

3. The documentation package (including report, application documents, and bylaw) will be submitted to the electoral area Advisory Planning Commission (APC) and Director for their review. The APC meeting is an informal public meeting of local volunteers who provide their recommendation(s) to the area Director. It is recommended that the applicant attend this meeting.

4. The documentation package is then forwarded to the Regional Board of Directors' meeting for their consideration. The bylaw is given first reading at this meeting.

5. Following first reading, the documentation package is forwarded to all relevant technical agencies (ie. Island Health, Provincial Ministries, First Nations, etc.) along with a referral request for their consideration of the proposal. A public hearing is scheduled at this time.

6. The public hearing provides an opportunity for anyone interested and/or affected by the proposal to provide their comments and/or concerns. Notification of the hearing is sent to all owners and occupiers of properties within 100m of the subject property. Notice of public hearing is posted on the subject property as well as placed as an advertisement in the local newspaper. The hearing is typically chaired by the electoral area Director and is attended by ACRD planning staff along with the applicant. Copies of the technical agency referral responses and any other written correspondence received (related to the proposal) are provided at this meeting.

7. Following public hearing, the Planning Department will prepare a report and minutes of the hearing. These documents along with the bylaw are then forwarded to a second Board meeting where the bylaw will receive second and third readings.

8. If applicable, any recommendations and/or requirements must be fulfilled by the applicant prior to the adoption of the bylaw. When all items have been addressed, the bylaw will be forwarded to a third Board meeting where it will be adopted.

IMPORTANT! Please Note: If at any stage, the proposal is not supported (ie. By the Planning Department, the APC, or the Regional Board), the applicant would be notified immediately and given the opportunity to amend the proposal and/or provide justification for the proposal as submitted.