G REEN LAKE AND AREA OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN MAY 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Green Lake and Area OCP Advisory Group Alan Boyd Ken Leyland Beverley Felske David Lingenfelter Ewa Foik Elizabeth Pytlewski Joy Gammie Marius Pytlewski Ken Huber Ron Wiebe Gordon Labinsky Anne-Marie Young Project Management Bob Finley, TNRD Rick Brundrige, CRD Dan Wallace, TNRD Brent Mueller, Ministry of Community and Rural Development Laura Tate, Ministry of Community and Rural Development Danielle Lukovich, Ministry of Community and Rural Development Elected Officials and Representatives Al Richmond, Director, CRD EA ‘G’ Bruce Rattray, Director, CRD EA ‘L’ Maureen Pinkney, Forner Director, CRD EA ‘L’ Sally Watson, Director, TNRD EA ‘E’ Donna Barnett, Provincial MLA, Cariboo Chilcotin Charlie Wyse, Former Provincial MLA, Cariboo Chilcotin CRD and TNRD Boards of Directors Advisory Planning Commissions for CRD Electoral Areas ‘G’ and ‘L’ and TNRD Electoral Area ‘E’ Consultants Catherine Berris Associates Inc., Planning and Landscape Architecture Catherine Berris, Principal in Charge Bill Gushue, GIS Anita Green, Planner Ellora Nandi, Graphics and Layout Appreciation We would like to thank the Green Lake Area Ratepayers Association (GLARA), federal and provincial agencies, and the many members of the local community, including our hosts at the Seventy Mile Access Centre, who attended meetings and provided their valuable contributions and insights to this plan. TABLE OF CONTENTS Section A: Context and Vision ......................................................................... 1 1.0 Background ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of an Official Community Plan ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Related Documents and Jurisdictions .................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Regional Context Statement ................................................................................................................ 6 1.4 Planning Process ................................................................................................................................... 8 1.5 Definitions and Acronyms .................................................................................................................... 9 2.0 Plan Area Overview ............................................................................................................ 13 2.1 Physical Context ................................................................................................................................. 13 2.2 Social Context ..................................................................................................................................... 15 3.0 Vision for the Future ............................................................................................................ 20 3.1 Policy Framework ............................................................................................................................... 20 3.2 Vision .................................................................................................................................................. 23 3.3 Goals ................................................................................................................................................... 24 3.4 Climate Change .................................................................................................................................. 25 3.5 Land Use Concepts ............................................................................................................................. 29 Section B: Land Use Designations ................................................................ 30 4.0 Resource ................................................................................................................................................. 30 5.0 Agriculture .............................................................................................................................................. 34 6.0 Residential ........................................................................................................................................... 37 7.0 Commercial ............................................................................................................................................. 46 8.0 Institutional ............................................................................................................................................ 49 9.0 Industrial ................................................................................................................................................. 50 10.0 Temporary Permits ............................................................................................................................... 51 11.0 Parks, Recreation and Trails ................................................................................................................. 53 12.0 Culture and Heritage ........................................................................................................................... 59 Section C: The Natural Environment ............................................................. 64 13.0 Potential Hazard Areas ......................................................................................................................... 64 14.0 Environmental and Riparian Resources ................................................................................................ 67 15.0 The Lakes .............................................................................................................................................. 73 Section D: Community Infrastructure ............................................................. 81 16.0 Transportation ...................................................................................................................................... 81 17.0 Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................................ 85 18.0 Emergency Preparedness ..................................................................................................................... 88 Section E: Implementation ............................................................................ 90 19.0 General Plan Implementation .............................................................................................................. 90 20.0 Development Permit Areas .................................................................................................................. 93 20.1 Riparian Development Permit Area .................................................................................................. 93 20.2 Environmentally Sensitive Development Permit Area ...................................................................... 96 20.3 Hazardous Lands Development Permit Areas ................................................................................... 98 Map Schedules: Schedule B: Land Use Schedule C: Aggregate Potential Schedule D: Agricultural Land Reserve Schedule E: Proposed Open Space Schedule F: Existing Trails Schedule G: Wildfire Probability Schedule H: Hazardous Lands Development Permit Areas Schedule I: Riparian and Environmentally Sensitive Development Permit Areas Preamble Interest in a consolidated plan for all of Green Lake and the surrounding area originated with the Green Lake Area Ratepayers Association (GLARA). GLARA members were concerned about the effects of various land uses and any future development on Green Lake. Green Lake is essentially a closed water system since there is no outfall except during years of high water level, Water quality is thus the highest consideration. The health of Green Lake is the foundation for this plan. The quality of the water must be protected; “if the lake dies, the whole area will die” (Resident) It is recognized that the Plan Area is within the traditional territory of the Secwepemc people. This plan is without prejudice to and cannot be used to define and/or limit Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and Aboriginal Title of First Nations in British Columbia. The OCP has no jurisdiction over Indian Reserves or Treaty Settlement Lands. S ECTION A: CONTEXT AND VISION 1.0 B ACKGROUND 1.1 PURPOSE OF AN OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN An Official Community Plan (OCP) is a bylaw of local government that provides objectives and policies to guide decisions on planning and land use management within a community or plan area. In British Columbia, the requirements of an OCP are defined by the Local Government Act and the Community Charter. For areas outside of an incorporated municipality, Regional Districts provide local government. Each Regional District is divided into Electoral Areas for which they may create individual OCPs, usually for a portion of the Electoral Area. This OCP is unique in that it is focused on a geographical area that spans two regional districts and three electoral areas. The focus of this OCP is Green Lake and the watersheds that drain into it. The boundary of the plan area was established based on: watersheds mapped by Ministry of Environment, private properties (desire not to cross through any), adjacent OCPs (Interlakes OCP to the northeast, South Cariboo OCP to the north), the public’s