The Town of Oliver will look at expanding its boundaries south of Road 1 as part of the OCP review.
A possible boundary expansion south of Road 1 in Oliver will be considered in a review of the Town’s Official Community Plan (OCP).
Last week council decided it was best to wait for the OCP review before considering expanding its boundaries south of town.
An application must be made to the province before any expansion goes forward.
In 2012 council considered a staff report on the potential expansion on both sides of Highway 97 between Road 1 and Road 2. This includes some smaller residential and commercial properties on the southwest corner of Highway 97 and Road 2.
The idea for expansion was borne via a request from the executor of a property owner at 5691 Highway 97 who wanted to be included in the town’s boundaries.
In 2012, of the 41 properties in the expansion area, 11 owners indicated they did not want to be a part of it. A total of 10 indicated they did want to be part of the municipality, while 20 did not return the survey forms.
At that time council postponed consideration of expansion until it was part of the district’s Regional Growth Strategy.
Since 2012 the mayor’s office has been approached on various occasions by a property owner wanting council to pursue expansion.
According to the landowner, many more property owners are in favour of joining the municipality.
Tom Szalay, the project’s development consultant, said combining the 2012 survey with the new petitions, there are now 14 owners in favour, 11 opposed and 16 with unknown opinions.
Szalay said the OCP update should confirm whether this area is within the Town’s long-term growth boundaries. He noted that such a review may amend the proposed expansion from what was envisioned in 2012. Therefore, it would be important to get the exact boundaries correct prior to submitting a formal application, Szalay said.
Property owners were given an opportunity to comment on the proposed expansion. Comments from owners in favour included: address unsightly premise concerns; vote in municipal elections; need space to grow; and “staying small equals stagnation.”
Comments from owners opposed to expansion included: expansion will cost money and will lose rural way of life; higher density development would increase complaints about noise; fill up empty lots in town first; incorporation would impose development restrictions; and sewer costs.
Szalay said because expansion is such a lengthy process, you want to do it right. He noted the process would involve a public meeting to talk about the tax implications, and the residents in town would have to agree with expansion, likely through an alternative approval process.
Szalay said boundary expansion has its positives and negatives. For example, it would create new opportunities for business and a new tax base for the town. It would also be more environmentally friendly to sewer the area as opposed to the potential risk of septic fields, he said.
But Szalay noted that expansion would push Oliver closer to the 5,000 population threshold.
Once the Town exceeds 5,000 population, it would have to pay 70 per cent of policing costs, he pointed out.
But Szalay said he doesn’t see the Town surpassing 5,000 in the 2016 census.
By Lyonel Doherty
