Regional planning
|
2024 Provincial Housing Legislation |
|
Local Government Housing Legislation Changes In late 2023, the BC Government passed several new laws intended to increase the affordable housing supply in the province. These changes fulfill the Homes for People plan to provide more housing, faster. For information on the new provincial initiatives see the Province of BC’s Local government housing initiatives. Bill 44, which includes the Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) legislation, applies to all local governments in BC, including Regional Districts. It identifies the number of housing units permitted on lots zoned for single-family or duplex use which is determined by:
What does this mean for RDCO Electoral Areas? RDCO land use planning framework will be affected by these changes, although the Regional District will see less intensive development density compared to urban municipal areas. To meet the new requirements, local land use bylaws and development application processes are under review. Recommended updates will be provided to the Regional Board, including:
Please note: Bill 44 provincial legislative updates do not apply to the Joe Rich Rural Land Use Bylaw.
Secondary Suites Currently, property owners wishing to develop a secondary suite can apply for site-specific rezoning:
Permitted secondary suites may be eligible for the provincial Secondary Suites Incentive Program. For more information see the BC Housing Factsheet.
What’s next? Proposed amendments to existing bylaws will be presented to the Regional Board for consideration and communicated to the public once available. |
|
Agricultural Planning |
|
Regional Agricultural Strategy A process to develop a regional agricultural strategy was launched in 2022. The first phase resulted in the completion of the Central Okanagan Agricultural Background Report. It contains an agricultural profile for the region, findings of a policy review and information gathered from engagement activities with the agricultural community, partners and stakeholders. It serves as a foundation to support knowledge sharing, data collection, joint investments and developing regionally consistent policies to help the larger agricultural food system through a regional agricultural strategy to be developed in the final phase of the process.
Agricultural plan 2005 Our Planning Services department completed an agricultural plan involving the public, advisory committees and staff. |
|
Central Okanagan Poverty and Wellness Strategy |
|
About the Central Okanagan Poverty and Wellness Strategy The RDCO, in partnership with the District of Peachland, City of West Kelowna, City of Kelowna and District of Lake Country, developed a Central Okanagan Poverty and Wellness Strategy (COPAWS) to provide a coordinated and shared community action strategy for poverty reduction in the Central Okanagan. Guided by principles of reconciliation, equity, and inclusion the project centers the voices of those with lived and living experience through extensive public engagement. Through collaborative action, the Strategy aims to provide everyone in the Central Okanagan a real and fair chance to succeed with improved policies, practices, and resources. The project is intended to strengthen the partnership between the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), and local Indigenous communities, municipalities, and a number of other community partners and agencies from across the region. The Strategy encompasses the input of over 800 residents who participated by providing their insight. The ideas for action were formed from this input, and show a desire for an equitable, inclusive Central Okanagan where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. There are over 40 ideas for action in this report, along with a blueprint for building on the amazing work that people and organizations across the Central Okanagan have already been doing. The Strategy highlights the importance of working together with clear purpose using the Collective Action model. The Strategy includes ideas for:
|
|
Regional Employment Lands Inventory |
|
The RDCO received funding through the 2023 Complete Communities grant for a Regional Employment Lands Inventory to assess current and future use of employment lands in the Central Okanagan. The project will include a market assessment and inventory of all commercial, industrial, office and institutional land within the RDCO. The inventory will provide the basis for projected demand, future supply, and impending shortages by sector. This information can then be used to direct future commercial and industrial land use development in the region. It will also provide a resource to inform more efficient development of infrastructure and transportation to promote growth and encourage the development of integrated communities.
|
|
Regional Growth Strategy Monitoring Program |
|
The development on an Regional Growth Strategy Monitoring Program was identified in the 2017 Priority Projects Plan. The purpose of the program is to provide the foundation for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the RGS through the development of a set of measures that can be used to monitor progress. The RDCO RGS Monitoring Program was endorsed by the Regional Board on October 10, 2019, and consists of two components:
|
|
Regional Housing Strategy |
|
Regional Housing Needs Assessment |
|
One of the projects identified in the Regional Growth Strategy Priority Projects Plan is development of a Regional Housing Needs Assessment. Access to affordable housing is a growing concern regionally as it is in much of the Province. The provision of affordable housing can come through a wide range of mechanisms and solutions. Given the proximity of Central Okanagan communities and their integration through the transportation network, the supply and demand of the housing market is best considered at the regional level. With the larger regional situation defined, each community's role in the contribution to the solution can be better understood, supporting a coordinated and consistent response toward regional housing goals The Regional Housing Needs Assessment was received and endorsed by the Regional Board on October 28, 2019. The Assessment provides a descriptive analysis of the current housing needs and issues for the entire Central Okanagan, as well as housing highlights for each jurisdiction:
|
Environmental planning
|
A resource for Okanagan lakeshore living |
|
A best management practices guide has been developed to offer practical solutions for Central Okanagan property owners along the shoreline of Okanagan Lake. The guide
The project was initiated by the Regional District of Central Okanagan in partnership with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) and the South Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (SOSCP). Funding was provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) Water Conservation and Quality Improvement Grant Program, and the Real Estate Foundation of BC. Access A Resource for Okanagan Lakeshore Living |
|
Aggregate supply and demand update and analysis, 2013 |
|
|
Okanagan Lake Foreshore Inventory and Mapping (FIM) |
|
Foreshore Inventory and Mapping (FIM) is a method of collecting information on the current state of the foreshore and shoreline of a lake. It is relevant data to have from the past and present to help make informed decisions for the future. FIM provides agencies with an easily accessible inventory of land use, shore type and existing riparian conditions to implement better shoreline management. Why update FIM?We update FIM to…
Who's been involved?The original 2005 project was made possible through contributions from the Real Estate Foundation, Ministry of Environment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the District of Lake Country, the City of Kelowna, the Community Mapping Network and the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The 2016 FIM Update Report for all of Okanagan Lake was initiated by the Regional District of Central Okanagan, and facilitated through a partnership with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) through the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada, the South Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (SOSCP), the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), and the City of Vernon. History of FIM in the Okanagan
Central Okanagan Lake Foreshore PlanThe Central Okanagan is one of the most rapidly growing areas in Western Canada, and much of the growth is occurring near the shores of Okanagan Lake. The RDCO has been involved in foreshore planning since the late 1980s and is a pioneer in the task of foreshore management. Central Okanagan Lake Foreshore Plan (2007 update). The Okanagan Lake: A Compilation of the North, South and Central Okanagan Lake (2011)
Central Okanagan Foreshore Inventory and Mapping (2005)
|
|
Okanagan Lake protection strategy |
|
A substantial grant will help with the multi-year collaborative planning effort to protect the environmental and cultural values of Okanagan Lake and its watershed. The Vancouver Foundation is providing $300,000 to the partnership that is developing the Okanagan Lake Responsibility Strategy:
The Okanagan Lake Responsibility Planning Initiative will enhance the ways of caring for, protecting, and restoring the values and interests of the Okanagan Lake shoreline and watershed tributaries. When complete, the strategy will provide the knowledge and expertise to assist with new land-use planning decisions that support common, consistent, and collaborative approaches to protect shoreline natural areas, prepare for and mitigate climate impacts, and promote sustainable development. The partnership is key to the projects' success and holds the greatest potential for finding solutions to complex land use issues. This initiative plans to shift the existing planning processes and outcomes through the support of project partners that include differing perspectives, a collective understanding, and a shared approach to the issues in the watershed. It's envisioned that communities across the Okanagan region and all levels of government will benefit from this unique, unified - Syilx led framework that aims to:
The initiative has received support from the Syilx Okanagan Nation, three Okanagan Regional Districts, and seven local governments. Other active partners include the Province of BC, the Okanagan Basin Water Board, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, UBC Okanagan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. |
|
Planning for ecosystem connectivity in the Central Okanagan |
|
This project involves identifying locations of ecosystem connectivity corridors that, if conserved or restored, will contribute to maintaining ecosystem connectivity in the Central Okanagan, and to connect the plans made here throughout the Okanagan (from south of the US border to North Okanagan). |
|
Regional Floodplain Management Plan |
|
The completion of the Regional Floodplain Management Plan was the #1 project identified within the Regional Growth Strategy Priority Projects Plan. Flooding is a serious concern for the Central Okanagan and its developed areas and will only become more with the effects of climate change. In response to this risk, the three-phase Regional Floodplain Management Plan has been initiated with the purpose of reducing flood risk, improving emergency response, and increasing resiliency to climate change. Phase 1Phase 1 of the Regional Floodplain Management Plan was completed in 2016 to identify potential flood hazards within the Regional District of Central Okanagan and establish the scope and priorities of Phase 2 and 3. Phase 2Phase 2 is ongoing and focused on delineation and confirmation of the flood-prone streams and floodplains identified in Phase 1. Through funding from RDCO, OBWB, UBCM and NDMP, plus partnerships with local government agencies, the following projects have been completed or are underway:
Peachland and Trepanier Creeks Mission Creek Flood and Hazard Mapping and Dyke Breach Analysis Mill Creek Flood and Hazard Mapping Okanagan Lake Flood Level Mapping Wood and Kalamalka Lakes Flood Level Mapping Phase 3Phase 3 seeks to use the information collected through Phases 1 and 2 to create mitigation strategies. The project will include an extensive outreach component to gain input from member local governments, Syilx communities in the region, stakeholders and the public to ensure that the proposed mitigation options are acceptable and supported. More information is available on the Central Okanagan Flood Mitigation Planning project (Phase 3). |
|
Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory (SEI) |
|
The Central Okanagan basin is ecologically significant due to its high biodiversity and many rare and endangered ecosystems, plants, and animals. The Committee on the Status and of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSWEIC), lists 53 species in the region as endangered or threated, and those species depend on sensitive ecosystems. The Central Okanagan has experienced significant development over the last two decades, and rates of growth are expected to further accelerate in the coming years. The region is at a critical juncture, with a complex and competing needs. Because of diminishing sensitive ecosystems, along with additional pressure from climate change, it is imperative that local governments work together to balance habitat retention and sustainable land development. Since the early 2000s, the RDCO has used Sensitive Ecosystem Inventories (SEIs) to facilitate environmental protection in land use management. SEIs provide scientific information and systematically map out unique, fragile ecosystems to aid in conservation, habitat protection and biodiversity efforts in BC. Data and information from SEIs are used for a variety of resource management issues by all levels of government, as well as the general public, landowners, developers, biologists, planning staff, non-government organizations. Central Okanagan SEI UpdateThe 2021 Central Okanagan SEI Update provides a snapshot of land use changes that have occurred over the past two decades. The update improves our knowledge of the status and trends of the remaining rare and fragile ecosystems and quantifies how land cover change in natural ecosystem areas that have experienced loss. This offers important insights in adapting and improving future policy development and land use management at the municipal and regional scale.
Historic SEI data, reports and maps
Additional resourcesFor more information please visit the Province of BC's Ecosystem data and information search tool for sensitive ecosystem inventory. |
Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping |
|
Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping (SHIM) is a method of collecting information that aims at mapping aquatic habitats and their associated riparian areas and terrestrial habitats. Its methods set the standard for fish and aquatic habitat mapping in urban and rural watersheds in residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial and recreational land use areas in British Columbia. SHIM seeks to identify, inventory, and map all watercourses, their associated riparian habitats and important fisheries habitat features through the use of field inventory and mapping techniques detailed in the Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping Methods & Standards document. SHIM presents community stewardship groups, individuals, regional districts and municipalities with an effective low cost approach to map and inventory local watercourses. The objective is to provide the basis for accurately mapping baseline data that can be integrated into local mapping and planning initiatives. Data collected is intended to enhance local land use planning maps and/or specific site or detailed planning surveys. SHIM has been adopted and used since 2001 by the Regional District of the Central Okanagan as an ecosystem-based tool for identifying, inventorying and mapping regional watercourses. Use of SHIM data:
|
State of the Basin Report |
|
The State of the Basin Report is the product of an inter-regional initiative to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework intended to track progress on matters which are important to the Okanagan Valley as a whole. Partners in this initiative include the Regional Districts of North Okanagan (RDNO), Central Okanagan (RDCO), and Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS). The monitoring and evaluation framework addresses the following policy areas:
Preparation of the State of the Basin Report was made possible with funding assistance provided by the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia and the Okanagan Basin Water Board. The partners also acknowledge and appreciate the professional consulting services provided by EcoPlan International Inc. and assistance provided by the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program, the Interior Health Authority, and numerous other agencies and individuals who contributed their time and expertise to the project. |