John Harding’s recent editorial regarding Qualicum Beach planning was not complete. He attempted to tell a story, seasoned with his bias, but fail to share with his readers the conclusion.
The “case in point” which is the basis for his remarks, was an application to rezone a property on Maple Street from R1 to SR1. This rezoning would permit two homes on the property. Town staff did recommend approval of the application. Town staff are not elected by the residents of Qualicum Beach. It is the responsibility of our elected officials to apply their best judgment to decide if this application warrants approval or not.
Our elected council must consider several key elements in their decision making. Their first consideration is the official community plan (OCP). It is an important document developed with considerable public input. Development applications requiring OCP amendment should not be considered casually by council.
Qualicum Beach is fortunate to have a very engaged population that is passionate about their town. We live in a democracy where people are entitled to have and express their opinions. Hearing those opinions and considering their merit represent another key element for council to consider.
The OCP is alive and well in Qualicum Beach. It serves as an important reference point for developers, town staff, council, and residents. Those who believe the OCP process was “terribly” flawed are entitled to their opinion. But we should remember that many of those people feel the process was flawed because their ideas were not incorporated.
Harding’s editorial neglected to mention that the “difficult-to-deal-with” town of Qualicum Beach approved the Maple Street rezoning application — after all interested parties had the opportunity to be heard by council and their opinions considered. What was the point of the editorial?
Lance NaterQualicum Beach