Mission residents provided final feedback on the city’s official community plan (OCP) during a public hearing last Tuesday (April 22).
Ten locals used the time to speak on a variety of concerns with the update to the plan, including maintaining rural neighbourhoods and options for youth.
Several speakers from the Steelhead and Stave Falls areas shared concerns that previous feedback hasn’t been incorporated into the plan.
Candace Koch, a director with the Steelhead Community Association, said it doesn't appear to be a plan for the people.
"I stand here deeply concerned and frankly disillusioned by the document that's been put forward. The new version of the OCP opens the door to gentrification and deregulation. It risks altering the very character of Mission, particularly our rural communities. The plan does not reflect the heart of the feedback provided by hundreds of residents," Koch said.
She went on to say: "Don't push forward a document that strips our community of its identity, that puts development over sustainability, and that was shaped –sometimes, it seems like– behind closed doors by people who don't even live in Mission instead of around the table with your residents."
H.S. Kenny Braich also shared concerns that his portion of the Ferndale neighbourhood receiving a rural designation isn't reflective of the actual neighbourhood.
"It's the wrong approach ... you guys are doing a disservice to the community at large because we're being restricted by being called rural and we're not," Braich said.
A Mission Secondary student with the Youth Voice Committee said the environment is a priority for local youth. She also advocated for more youth activities at the Leisure Centre and elsewhere, in addition to improved public transit.
"What I'm trying to get forward is have more options for the youth. Have more options for kids to explore because we're gonna be on our own. We want this more for our kids when we grow up," she said.
Mayor and council also had a chance to ask questions and voice feedback.
Coun. Danny Plecas noted the high level of engagement throughout the process, and he said the changing development has pushed concerns about the environment, traffic, and adequate space.
“There needs to be greater clarity and the question is can we [fiscally] afford some of the things that are in that document? It needs to be costed out and thought through a little bit better,” Plecas said.
Plecas addressed the MSS student’s concerns about transportation, but said the city needs support from BC Transit beyond 3 years. He said it's important for Steelhead residents to participate in the rural strategy to sit down and thoroughly discuss issues
“If you look at our rural community, it’s more than 50 per cent of our landscape in Mission and really it’s a big part of our community. But at the same time, it’s a small number of people and so the reality is yes, people have a big voice but at the same time, as we grow as a community, one of the most popular things people are looking at is rural properties. That’s top of mind for a lot of people who come from other communities,” he said.
Council also voiced an appetite to change the wording of smaller neighbourhood centres to better demonstrate the purpose of the designation.
“Rural communities need a gathering place – a Steelhead Hall, a Silverdale Hall, a local spot where you cango and get a coffee … that’s the whole aim of this is to make sure it knits the community together,” Horn said.
Coun. Carol Hamilton shared emails from the Canadian Homebuilders Association and Urban Development Institute about the plan, saying it lacks practical pathways to deliver clearly on its goals.
“As I’m reading through it, this feels to me like it’s a reactionary document to public feedback. And I appreciate it from a 10,000-foot level, however, it almost feels like we’ve lifted the comments from the public and inserted them into the OCP and that’s our plan. So I just feel it needs more meat on the bone,” Hamilton said
Horn and council said they hope a rural strategy would not take two years.
Gill said it’s important the plan reflects the values, priorities and practical realities of the community, protecting investments and respecting the neighbourhood.
“The thing that does worry me about this OCP is … I know the rural strategy is coming but there are some policies in this OCP that are almost starting to lay the foundation of some concerns that I know the rural community has,” Gill said.
Council unanimously voted to receive a third reading report incorporating feedback and an implementation plan.
