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Kimberley Residents discuss proposed Official Community Plan at a public hearing

The hearing was the last opportunity for public input before a vote is cast by Council.
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The City of Kimberley held a public hearing for the proposed Official Community Plan (OCP) last night at McKim theatre, with over 100 people in attendance.

The city is in the final stages of a major update to the OCP, the first comprehensive review since 2005.

Council approved the first and second reading of the OCP Bylaw 2600, before hosting the public hearing. The hearing was intended for members of the public to voice their opinions about all aspects of the OCP to Council, so they can take those concerns into consideration before voting on a third reading and/or potential adoption of the bylaw.

Since the OCP process started, there has been a lot of discussion around the land use for the area known as the Marysville bench lands. The area is currently a well-used recreation area with walking trails and great views. In the proposed OCP, the 14 acres on Jim Ogilvie Way known as the bench is zoned as light-industrial, allowing the City to potentially sell or use the land for development.

Many of the presentations at the Public Hearing revolved around the bench, with people speaking both for and against the light-industrial zoning of the land.

Resident Michelle Nex owns a business, home, and commercial properties in Kimberley and says that bringing industry to town is critical. She says that Kimberley “cannot rely on tourism alone”, and that taxes are rising every year.

“Over the last 15 years I’ve watched as many people leave our city due to a lack of jobs,” said Nex. “They leave in search of work to support their families and most never return. The lack of industry and jobs in our city is now at a critical point and we cannot afford to turn away industry if we want to continue living in this community as we know it.”

Sherry Kearns says that although most people support bringing industry to town, the OCP process has “divided the community”.

“In my 17 years living here here I have never seen such a division of residents and council, and now it’s residents between residents,” said Kearns. “Young people want to see industry as they’ve been told their residential taxes will go down, older people want to see future generations enjoy the land as they did. Handicap people, or those with limited mobility, have fewer places to access nature. It also divides the community in terms of location. Marysville people don’t feel safe, and this is causing an us versus them scenario. Jaffray had their OCP not pass because the directors saw a division in the community and made their decision based on that.”

Kearns says that citizens will, “stand up every step of the way until the land is safe from development.”

Council insists that the trails around the bench lands will remain the same if the OCP is approved.

Brett Price moved to Kimberley five years ago from Vancouver. Price says that certain industrial parks in Vancouver, such as those along the Fraser River, are “beautiful”. He says, if done properly, it would allow for the trails to work cohesively with whatever industry is brought to town.

“They [Fraser River industrial parks] are not spewing chemicals, they’re not wood processing plants or pulp mills; they are beautifully developed,” said Price. “I think it’s less of a concern to me about where it happens, but that when this light-industrial/commercial, not heavy industrial, when it does get built that it just gets done properly, and tastefully, and beautifully. In Vancouver, these places are places [where] people actually do recreate, you roll through, you ride your bike through it and it’s every bit as beautiful as a residential area.”

Some folks pointed to the Teck-owned land along Jim Ogilvie way, asking council to consider waiting until they can acquire that land to develop industry there, or to continue to look for other options.

Michelle Forbes says that if Kimberley wants a lot of industry, there needs to be options for potential buyers/businesses.

“Maybe absorbing new land is part of the answer, not only for that but also for housing,” said Forbes. “If it takes five to ten years to have safe land, maybe we are looking at the wrong land. Maybe we need to have more possibilities of places to look. Perhaps the OCP is not quite complete in all of the land that is possible for the city to use…”

Others spoke to their children and those growing up in Kimberley, stating that their children will have to move away in order to be able to support themselves and have a meaningful career.

Brandi O’Neill moved to Kimberley from Calgary five years ago with her family. She said she was speaking on behalf of her children, and the future of Kimberley.

“Since this council has been here I’ve seen such a massive amount of change and thoughtful decision making on the future of Kimberley…” said O’Neill. “My children are still small and are attending the schools here that are fabulous. I haven’t heard a lot of people, with the exception of a couple, speak for them [children]. I wanted to say thank you, because I feel like you [council and staff] are thinking of the future of Kimberley, which are my children, and others here. Our schools are full, so something has been done right. I’m fully in favour of what you are doing, and I appreciate it.”

The next vote will take place at a subsequent City Council Meeting. This was the last opportunity for the public to speak out on the OCP before a vote is cast.

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Over 100 people were in attendance at the OCP Public Hearing on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018 (Corey Bullock/Kimberley Bulletin file).


Corey Bullock

About the Author: Corey Bullock

Corey Bullock is a multimedia journalist and writer who grew up in Burlington, Ontario.
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