Prince George residents will have the chance to give their thoughts on the next major version of the city’s Official Community Plan (OCP) Wednesday, March 19.
A public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. in council chambers on the second floor of city hall on both the OCP and relating zoning bylaw amendments.
Here’s an overview of what an Official Community Plan is, why they’re required and what they contain.
What is an OCP and why are they needed?
Local governments in BC, which are municipalities and regional districts, are required by the Local Government Act to have one or more Official Community Plans.
Section 471(1) of the act says OCPs are “a statement of objectives and policies to guide decisions on planning and land use management, within the area covered by the plan, respecting the purposes of local government.”
These plans must include:
- The approximate locations, amount, type and density for residential developments needed to meet housing needs over five- and 20-year periods
- The approximate location, amount and type of land uses for commercial, industrial, institutional, agricultural, recreational and public utility purposes
- The approximate locations of sand and gravel deposits
- Land use restrictions for areas subject to hazardous conditions or that are environmentally sensitive
- The approximate location and phasing of major road, sewer and water infrastructure
- The approximate location and type of current and potential public facilities like schools, parks, waste treatment and waste disposal systems
- Greenhouse gas reduction targets and policies
- Other elements that are required by the minister in charge of municipal affairs
Though not mandatory, OCPs can also include policies on social needs, social well-being, social development, agriculture, environmental protections and transportation.
Once an OCP is officially adopted, bylaws or works enacted by a local government’s deliberative body must be consistent with it.
A recent example of friction relating to the OCP happened with bylaws relating to a proposed industrial development on Guay Road.
Mayor Simon Yu pointed out during a public hearing that there was a slight overlap between an area proposed to have a restrictive covenant preventing further development and an area designated for future light industrial development in the OCP.
City staff asked for the public hearing to be ended and rescheduled, so that they could update the paperwork to remove the overlap and have the bylaw consistent with the OCP.
If a developer wants to build mixed-use buildings, those with both residential and commercial uses, they’ll need to do it along areas designated under future land uses as Neighbourhood Centres and Corridors where they are supported by the OCP.
These areas are primarily placed around arterial or major collector roads like Ospika Boulevard, Central Street, Queensway, Ferry Avenue, 15th Avenue
Light, medium and heavy industrial land uses are largely limited of the more densely populated areas of the city, like the BCR Site, along Boundary Road and near the airport, and along the Fraser and Nechako rivers north of where they merge near Cottonwood Island Park.
If a developer wants to build something outside the designated future land use in the OCP, they must require an amendment to the plan from council.
What does the draft OCP cover?
The draft OCP is a 92-page document that starts with a demographic assessment of Prince George and projections for what the city’s population will be like by 2050.
It contains 12 policy areas:
- Truth and Reconciliation
- Growth management
- Housing
- Economic development
- Arts, culture and heritage
- Infrastructure
- Transportation and mobility
- Parks and recreation
- Social health and wellbeing
- Climate action and resilience
- Natural environment
- Hazard lands
It also contains maps showing the city’s growth management areas, water systems, sanitary sewer system, storm sewer system, road network, cycling network, pedestrian network, parks and open spaces, aggregate sources, community facilities, development permit areas and future land use plans.
How is an OCP made official?
Official Community Plans are established through bylaws passed by a local government’s council, when it comes to municipalities, or board of directors for regional districts.
When developing an OCP and its associated bylaws, local governments must provide at least one opportunity to consult with people, organizations or authorities that it thinks will be affected by it.
These organizations can include regional districts, adjacent municipalities, First Nations, boards of education, the provincial government and the federal governments as well as their agencies.
After first reading of a bylaw establishing an OCP is passed, the local government must consider whether it aligns with its financial plan and its waste management plan.
Then, it must refer the plan to the Provincial Agricultural Land Commission for comment if it affects designated agricultural land and hold a public hearing sometime before third reading of the bylaw is considered.
This is where the Prince George stands, with its public hearing set for March 19 and third reading of the bylaw scheduled immediately afterwards.
If council wants to alter any land uses, increase or decrease property densities after the hearing, it must host another public hearing before voting third reading.
When do OCPs have to be updated?
The province currently requires OCPs and zoning bylaws to be updated by Dec. 31, 2025, after local governments have completed an interim housing needs report. Prince George’s interim report was presented to council in early December 2024.
Then, once a full housing needs report is completed, local governments must update their OCPs once again by Dec. 31, 2028.
With a municipal election due to take place in 2026, that means Prince George’s next OCP could be decided by a different mayor and council.
How has Prince George gotten to this point?
Prince George’s current OCP was adopted by city council on June 25, 2012, though there have been minor amendments in the years since.
On Dec. 19, 2022, council passed a resolution directing administration to update the OCP.
The first round of public engagement took place between September and November 2023, featuring open housing, round table discussions, kiosks at events and social media posts.
Between December 2023 and September 2024, city staff worked on a draft of the new OCP. After a final round of public engagement, including a survey and more kiosks, the new plan was submitted for final approval.
What about Ginter’s Green?
Ginter’s Green, also known as Ginter’s Meadow, is a forested escarpment along the bottom of Cranbrook Hill extending roughly from the intersection of 18th Avenue and Foothills Boulevard to the intersection of 22nd Avenue and Webber Crescent.
The area includes a sizeable off-leash dog park and connections to several municipal trails, including the UNBC trail system.
Even before the OCP review was ordered, members of the local advocacy group Ginter’s Green Forever (GGF) have been pushing for the area to be protected and specifically defined as a park.
The current OCP would see the Massey Drive and Foothills Boulevard extended through the area and GGF pushed to have those plans axed.
The group’s wishes on that front have come true in the draft OCP, with those road extensions having been removed.
However, GGF wants the OCP amended to contain even more protections for the area.
Attached to the agenda for the public hearing are several letters advocating for council to take more action.
A letter written by GGF organizers that multiple people emailed to council asks that the light industrial and right-of-way land uses be redesignated as parkland and that several properties currently for sale within Ginter’s Green be removed from the urban containment boundary.
The urban containment boundary, according to the city, is “the boundary outside of which urban development is not supported.”
“Land within the Urban Containment Boundary is expected to develop and redevelop to higher intensity uses to accommodate the anticipated growth of the community to 2050.”
Other residents not identifying themselves as part of GGF also wrote letters asking for Ginter’s Green to be protected against encroaching urban sprawl, describing it as a valuable community hub where residents can connect with nature.
How can I provide my input on the new OCP?
Those who want to chime in on the new OCP have three ways to participate in the public hearing.
The first is to show up for the public hearing on March 19 at 7 p.m. in council chambers on the second floor of city hall and sign up on the list of speakers
If you can’t make it in person, there’s also an option to call in by dialling 1-877-708-3350 and entering the access code 1269574#.
You can also submit written comments by sending an email to [email protected], faxing 250-561-0183 or dropping off or mailing comments to the corporate officer on the fifth floor of city hall.
