Official Community Plan Update – Media Outreach
- Our New Official Community Plan Bylaw has received first reading by Council!
Over the past year, the District of Chetwynd staff have been working on updating the Official Community Plan. You may remember that the District has reached out to the community for input through social media posts, surveys, and other events. We have taken the feedback provided and incorporated it into the OCP.
2022 Draft District of Chetwynd Official Community Plan
2022 District of Chetwynd Official Community Plan Mapping
- Recap: What is an Official Community Plan?
An Official Community Plan is the highest-level policy document – it informs and guides how the community grows for the next 15+ years. The Official Community Plan sets out the vision, objectives, and policies that will guide the future growth and development of the District of Chetwynd.
- Why do we need an Official Community Plan?
An Official Community Plan guides every decision by Council and Staff so that they remain on track with what the community has said is important. That being said, an Official Community Plan does not commit or authorize a municipality to proceed with any project identified in the Plan. The Official Community Plan provides a regulatory framework to guide how the District evaluates and approves future development. It will provide clear direction for how Chetwynd should grow in the coming years so that growth is well planned and supports the community’s vision for the future.
- Who creates the Official Community Plan?
Our community does. Every person is asked to provide some input: District Council, District staff, First Nations, community groups, stakeholders, government agencies, children, seniors etc. Council will adopt an Official Community Plan that they believe best represents the interests and objectives of Chetwynd as a whole.
- What was changed since the 2016 OCP?
This 2022 Official Community Plan builds upon the great work that went into the 2016 Official Community Plan. While many components have been carried over and expanded upon, this Official Community Plan also contains many new sections and some re-organization. The following sets out the sections in this Official Community Plan and identifies which are new and which are carried over and expanded:
- Section 1.0 – Introduction – this section describes the context of an Official Community Plan, its legislative requirements, why one is needed and when it should be updated. It also highlights what is new in this Official Community Plan and how to use it.
- Section 2.0 – Community Visioning and Goals – this new section provides an overview of the process undertaken to develop this Official Community Plan, a summary of the community engagement that was undertaken, and the overarching themes that arose. This section also communicates the vision and goals for the community.
- Section 3.0 – Community Context – this section is updated and expanded on from the previous Official Community Plan. A more in-depth examination is provided on the history of Chetwynd, climate, and overall regional context.
- Section 4.0 – Community Profile – this new section provides a current overview of the demographic and economic context of Chetwynd, using data from reputable and up-to-date statistical sources.
- Section 5.0 – Community Development – many of the subsections within this section have been carried over and updated. This section includes new policies on Partnerships and Inclusion & Creating an Inclusive and Accessible Chetwynd.
- Section 6.0 – Land Use Plan – much of the content contained within this section is carried over from the previous Official Community Plan. New land use designations reflect a refinement from more general land uses in order to provide increased guidance for future development.
- Section 7.0 – Development Permit Areas – this section has been refreshed to reflect current best practices related to new development.
- Section 8.0 – Implementation – this section has been refreshed to provide clearer direction on how this Official Community Plan will be implemented over time.
- Who can I contact for more information?
Carol Newsom
Chief Administrative Officer
ocp@gochetwynd.com