ZONING BYLAW REWRITE
Approved in 1993 the Town of Oliver’s Zoning Bylaw 720 has been amended many times, but never reviewed or consolidation in a comprehensive manner. In response, the Town of Oliver is now undertaking a comprehensive review/rewrite of Zoning Bylaw 720. The Town’s intent is to adopt a superior model bylaw that will illustrate improvement, innovation and enhancement of existing land use policies, while supporting development regulations.
Oliver’s Council has identified the review of the Zoning Bylaw as a priority. Urban Systems Ltd. has been hired to provide consulting assistance on this project.
The Zoning Bylaw is the primary regulatory tool for the implementation of the municipality’s Official Community Plan (OCP), as well as other policies which impact the use and development of property.
A Zoning Bylaw regulates the:
- Use and density of development on residential, commercial, institutional and industrial lands, and in buildings
- Siting, size, and dimensions of buildings and uses
- The location of uses on land, and within buildings
- Parking and amenity space requirements
The purpose of a Zoning Bylaw is to:
- Implement the policies of the OCP
- Maintain order, efficiency and harmony of land uses
- Prevent overcrowding of land
- Protect the environment
- Protect property values
The Zoning Bylaw Review Process: 4 key phases of it –
Phase 1 – Issue Identification Phase 2 – Technical Review Phase 3 – Bylaw Preparation (draft zoning bylaw from consultant) Phase 4 – Approval
All but the last phase have been completed. Council will see a report from Urban Systems today at 4pm in an open council meeting at the council chambers.