The Town of Oliver will not pursue boundary expansion to the south as it reviews its Official Community Plan.
Many people like the small town atmosphere in Oliver and don’t want that to change. But the community needs more stores and jobs, according to a local survey.
The Town of Oliver is taking all this in as it reviews the results of a community survey as part of its Official Community Plan (OCP) update.
Approximately 150 people filled out the survey. Of the respondents, 94 per cent were permanent residents, while four per cent were seasonal.
Some highlights of the survey include the top three values that participants wanted the OCP to support: small town atmosphere; access to nature and recreation opportunities; and quality of services.
The top three community challenges that participants hope the OCP could address are: limited local commercial services (stores and shops); limited work opportunities; and limited local and regional transportation options.
Participants were asked to rank 10 broad goals to guide the new OCP. Three dominant goals emerged: economic development (support and retain existing businesses, while encouraging new businesses); downtown revitalization; and sense of place (protect Oliver’s small town, rural character).
Boundary expansion (south of Road 1 involving 41 properties) was another issue that garnered feedback.
But on Monday, council decided not to proceed with expansion on the advice of its consultant, and the fact that property owners in this area are divided on the issue. Most of the land is in the Agricultural Land Reserve anyway.
