Hello Roberts Creek and we’re finally seeing some sun and warmer temperatures. There’s plenty of things in this newsletter, including some opportunity for feedback, so let’s dive in.
Survey on Recreation facilities
The Sunshine Coast Regional District’s recreation team launched a community survey to help guide what’s being offered in our recreation facilities, arenas and swimming pools in the future. More information can be found in this news release and you can take the survey here.
Feedback on our new Water Strategy
Would you like to have your say on the future of water on the Sunshine Coast? Our current water supply plan is now over 10 years old and does not include the Environmental Flow Needs in Chapman Creek, Climate Change considerations, the Church Road well field, new supply opportunities and demand-based water rates.
The SCRD is seeking feedback on the development of the Water Strategy until June 30, 2022. Here is the link to the News Release, which includes information about in-person and online engagement events.
In June there will be roundtable sessions with small groups for a deep dive into each of the water systems.
To learn more, visit letstalk.scrd.ca/water-strategy.
Cooper’s Green Hall
On May 26th the board decided to go ahead with a $4.5 million rebuild of the Cooper’s Green Community Hall. About half of it is funded by a federal grant, and the Halfmoon Bay Community Association has done an admirable job of raising around $400,000 so far with hopes for more. The electoral areas, through the parks function, could however still be on the hook for $1.4 million and any cost overruns. At an extravagant $981 a square foot and with little consultation of my community I did not vote in favour of this project, especially considering that this location will be affected by sea level rise within the next 100 years, and community halls often last well past that, as can be seen by our hall or Grantham’s.
The next election discussion
Kelly Backs has kindly organized a guided discussion about the next election with me and two former directors (Donna Shugar and Mark Lebbell) at the Roberts Creek Hall on June 14th at 7pm. The goal is to inform people about the issues in the community and the SCRD, and what the job entails with the hope it may inspire someone to run for director this fall. I would be happy to take on a mentorship role for someone who is coming into it with the intention of representing our community and keeping an open mind about the issues facing it.
Sunshine Coast Climate Risk Assessment and GHG inventory in COW May 26
SCRD staff, with the help of a consultant, have assembled a GHG inventory for 2019 and also put out a Climate Risk Assessment. Below is a pie chart showing where our emissions are coming from.
Here are our emissions by fuel type.
The climate risk assessment can be used to determine where to put our efforts and dollars in the coming years to mitigate the effects of climate change on our community.
Draft Bylaw 722
This month we were also presented with the first draft of our future zoning bylaw 722 (p.38). It is slated to replace Bylaw 310 and the main reason for the overhaul is to be a more streamlined, better formatted and more legible version of the current bylaw. We are however using this opportunity to address the housing crisis to the extent possible, so some specific changes that are aimed at addressing housing diversity include: • provisions for secondary suites in any single-unit dwelling; • increasing the maximum floor area for auxiliary dwellings to 90 m2; • removing the 6-metre minimum building width requirement for dwellings; and, • providing clarity around two-unit dwelling parameters with the intent of promoting this housing form where already permitted.
The board has approved first reading, triggering an extensive public engagement process on the new bylaw. Stay tuned for more engagement opportunities.
Donna McMahon’s newsletter
Donna is once again back on track with a newsletter that just precedes mine, so feel free to peruse hers.
That’s it from me for now. In case you have any questions or concerns, you can always email me or find more information, including this newsletter, at https://andreastize.com