Dear North Saanich resident,
The rural/residential and agricultural character that we love in North
Saanich is under threat and we urgently need 2 minutes of your time to save
it.
We need at least 100 people to send a short email to the CRD Board of
Directors at crdchair@crd.bc.ca telling them they have no business changing our Official Community Plan for
us.
Here's a bit of background: As you may be aware, there is a Regional
Context Statement (RCS) amendment going before the CRD Board of Directors on
April 9 at 1:30 that, if approved, would significantly alter the North Saanich
Official Community Plan (OCP). If approved, this amendment would allow
for average gross densities of up to 8 to 16 units per acre, with some
densities as high as 30 units per acre (3 story apartment buildings) in two
areas of NS. In some parts of those areas, these densities would be put on
agricultural land, or be situated directly across the road from ALR land. More
information is available on the district website here: http://www.northsaanich.ca/Municipal_Hall/Departments/Planning_and_Community_Services/Regional_Context_Statement_Amendment.htm
or at the North Saanich Community Voices website here: www.nscv.ca
To be clear: if this RCS amendment is approved, its adoption
constitutes a change to our OCP. Our OCP was developed over a long period
of broad public consultation and input, and reflects a rural/residential and
agricultural vision that has been consistently supported by NS residents since
NS was established in 1965. The proposed RCS and OCP changes would
negatively affect our quality of life, increase our taxes, and drastically
increase traffic in NS.
Do you believe that a group of regional politicians who don't know our
municipality, don't live in our community, don't pay taxes here, and don't
understand our unique issues and character should be allowed to change our OCP?
If not, they need to hear from you.
We believe that the CRD Board of Directors needs to hear from as many
North Saanich residents as possible that we believe that broad changes of this
magnitude need to be made through an OCP review, not by a group of politicians
who don't even know our municipality, its character or its issues.
What we're asking you to do is
simple and quick, and if enough people do it, could save the rural/residential
and agricultural ambience that we in North Saanich love:
Would you take 2 minutes to send a
brief message requesting (or even demanding) that the CRD keeps its hands off
our OCP and leaves any decisions around OCP changes up to NS residents
ourselves?
Send your comments to crdchair@crd.bc.ca The proper
opening salutation is: "To the Chair and Board of Directors at the Capital
Regional District." Please send a copy to our North Saanich Council too at admin@northsaanich.ca
The message can be brief, stating simply that you're a NS resident, how
long you've lived here, and that you do not want the CRD making OCP decisions
for our municipality. Of course, you may add more if you wish.
The main thing is to send the CRD Board a message that they can't
ignore. A flood of emails from NS residents indicating our demand
that we decide our OCP, not the CRD Board, will hopefully get their
attention, and make them think twice about interfering in and significantly
altering another municipality's OCP. We think that at least 100 emails (more
would be better!) will make the CRD Board sit up and take notice, and we need
your help to achieve that goal.
Please take those 2 minutes right now and send an email. Ask every
adult in your household to do the same. Then forward this to your NS
friends and neighbours, letting them know that you are behind this effort, and
asking them to help too.
We've seen too many local areas destroyed by unplanned development. We
don't have to be like them. Please send an email now, and help us protect our
OCP.
Thanks,
North Saanich Community Voices