Submitted by City of Castlegar
The City of Castlegar is inviting the community to review its draft Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw.
During the most recent engagement phase in fall 2023, key policies and land use areas were discussed, and community feedback helped shape policies which have been integrated into the draft Community Plan. Participants reviewed the key themes and the five priorities which have become the foundation for the community vision and guiding principles.
The five priorities for the Castlegar Community Plan include:
• Focus growth in key nodes
• Protect and restore the city’s ecosystems
• Create a dynamic Columbia Avenue corridor
• Diversify the city’s neighbourhoods
* Nurture an active city
The feedback collected has been summarized in the updated What We Heard Report, available at castlegar.ca/whatweheard.
This spring, the city is inviting the community to review and confirm that the Community Plan reflects the community they want to live in.
“We want to thank the community of Castlegar for their input into this important process. The foundation of our Community Plan has been shaped by your feedback – making this a project that reflects the needs of our community and how we envision our future,” says Mayor Maria McFaddin.
“We are excited to hear from you once again in this final round of engagement, where we have the opportunity to review both the Community Plan and the Zoning Bylaw in their entirety.”
Residents can share their feedback until May 22.
Visit castlegar.ca/2033plan to share your feedback on the draft Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw.
Copies of the drafts and feedback forms are also available at City Hall, located at 460 Columbia Ave.
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Draft Zoning Bylaw
The Draft Zoning Bylaw is also available for review.
To ensure the vision and goals outlined in the Community Plan are translated into action, the city updated its Zoning Bylaw which regulates how land is used and guides growth over time. The draft Zoning Bylaw is available for review and feedback at castlegar.ca/2033plan.
New Provincial Guidelines
To increase housing availability across the province, the Province of B.C. recently released new legislation which municipalities must incorporate into their Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw.
The most significant change for the city is in Bill 44, which enables up to four dwelling units on any serviced residential lot greater than 280 square metres. As part of this project, these changes have been incorporated into the draft Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw.
Learn more about these changes at gov.bc.ca.
Next Steps
Once feedback is collected from the community, a final version of the Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw will be presented to council as part of the bylaw adoption process. The public will be invited to a public hearing, held in June, at which time council will be available to hear feedback from those attending or who submit written comments.
Find more information at castlegar.ca/2033plan.