I am responding to last week's editorial (OCP a waste of time, money).
I think we should not take the cynical view that because the 2011 OCP (Official Community Plan) has been changed, modified and evolved over the last 10 years by the city council that we should not do the hard work to update and modify the plan for the next 10 to 15 years.
Higher level plans act as a kind of budget for goals, uses and values we hold for our community. Families and companies make budgets as a way to look ahead and think about the challenges of the next little while. Surprises, disasters and opportunities will always change the variables. That is not a failure of the plan.
I think back to 2011 and at that time we have not had extreme urban heat events, multiple years with forest fire smoke, an increase in the number of people at risk from affordability and the opioid crisis and I don't think we had fully digested the effects of the 2007 ice jam. As with everything, the devil is always in the details.
If this exercise is to truly be a waste, it would be because of a failure to engage with the citizens of Prince George. It would be a waste if the only "Consultation and Engagement" would be posting a public notice on the city's website or Facebook, brushing off their hands and sticking a 2023 sticker on the 2011 OCP.
It would be hard work to talk with numerous community groups like Ginter's Green, the Prince George Cycling Club, and jointly work on land use and zoning with Lheidli T’enneh. Will there be fights in the future as we strive to be a livable, affordable, and sustainable community? Absolutely.
The road in the future will also have lapses in judgment, lack of transparency, and individuals with questionable motives. A good plan cannot fix those problems on its own. Engaged caring citizens will make this a great place to live, work and play.
Colleen Mahoney, Prince George
