BACKGROUND AND KEY ISSUES REPORT February 2021
Background and Key Issues Report February 2021
Official Community Plan Update
This report provides a summary of the information that has been collected to date that will inform the ongoing update to the City of Rossland’s Official Community Plan. There are three main sections in this report: A summary of the Project Initiation, Background Review and Key Issues and a Technical Review. Project Initiation will briefly summarize tasks completed as part of Phase 1 and provide a Community Snapshot of Rossland. The Background Review and Key Issues section will assess the current planning and technical documents that have been in effect since 2007 and identify the gaps and key issues that will inform the OCP update. Section 3 provides a more comprehensive policy and technical review on climate resiliency, transportation and infrastructure. A report on food security in Rossland is included in the Appendix. This background information will inform and help to frame the next stages of the OCP update.
If you have any questions about this report or would like to provide additional feedback, please email us at [email protected] or visit https://rossland.city/ocp-update for more information.
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Contents
Official Community Plan Update ...... 1 1 Review Process ...... 5 1.1 Where Are We in the Process? ...... 5 1.2 Rossland Community Snapshot ...... 7 1.2.1 Population and Growth ...... 7 1.2.2 Housing and Affordability ...... 8 1.2.3 Employment ...... 9 1.2.4 Municipal Services ...... 9 1.2.5 Nature and Recreation ...... 10 1.2.6 Culture and Heritage ...... 10 2 Background Review: Past Planning Work and Key Issues...... 13 2.1 Land Management ...... 13 2.1.1 Sustainable Growth ...... 14 2.1.2 Regulatory ...... 15 2.2 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE LANDS ...... 15 2.2.1 Passive Recreation and Community Information/Education ...... 16 2.2.2 Protected Lands and Environmental Asset Management ...... 16 2.3 COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ...... 17 2.3.1 Local Considerations...... 17 2.3.2 Socio-economic Issues ...... 18 2.3.3 Tourism ...... 18 2.4 RECREATION AND LEISURE ...... 19 2.4.1 Recreation ...... 19 2.4.2 Arts, Culture, Heritage ...... 20 2.5 HOUSING & AFFORDABILITY ...... 21 2.5.1 Affordable Rentals ...... 21 2.5.2 Development / Ownership Costs and Concerns ...... 22 2.6 TRANSPORTATION ...... 22 2.6.1 General ...... 23 2.6.2 Transit ...... 23
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2.6.3 Active Transportation ...... 24 2.7 INTERGENERATIONAL CARE AND LEARNING ...... 24 2.7.1 Community ...... 25 2.7.2 Education ...... 25 2.8 SENSE OF COMMUNITY ...... 26 2.8.1 Comments on Organization ...... 26 2.8.2 Thoughts and Ideas ...... 27 2.9 ENERGY AND AIR QUALITY ...... 27 2.9.1 Climate ...... 32 2.9.2 Energy ...... 32 2.10 WATER AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ...... 33 2.10.1 Water ...... 33 2.10.2 Solids ...... 34 2.11 GOVERNANCE ...... 34 3 TECHNICAL REVIEW SUMMARY ...... 37 3.1 Climate Change and Resiliency ...... 37 3.1.1 Background and Context ...... 37 3.1.2 Comments and Considerations...... 37 3.1.3 Existing Policy Review ...... 38 3.1.4 Issue Identification ...... 43 3.1.5 Proposed Approach / Next Steps ...... 43 3.2 TRANSPORTATION ...... 44 3.2.1 Background Information ...... 44 3.2.2 Comments and Considerations...... 45 3.2.3 Policy Review ...... 46 3.2.4 Issue Identification ...... 48 3.2.5 Proposed Approach / Next Steps ...... 49 3.3 INFRASTRUCTURE ...... 50 3.3.1 WATER SYSTEM ...... 50 3.3.2 SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM ...... 51 3.3.3 DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT...... 52
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SECTION 1 Introduction
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Background and Key Issues Report February 2021
1 Review Process
The Official Community Plan (OCP) is the City’s highest-level planning document. The plan is a guiding document that focuses on land use, growth and conservation, in addition to many other topics such as housing, transportation, recreation and relationships with regional government bodies. The policies embedded in the OCP are meant to support the vision, goals and objectives of the City. Once adopted by Council, subsequent work produced by the City, such as the Zoning Bylaw or other planning documents, must align with the policies outlined in the plan. Rossland’s current OCP has been in effect for 12 years. Rossland has experienced some significant economic and social shifts over the past decade, requiring a review and update of the City’s existing 2008 plan. Updating the OCP is an exciting process where goals, priorities, hopes, and dreams are explored, woven into policies, and concretely realized over time.
1.1 Where Are We in the Process?
As of writing this report, we are at the start of Phase 3.
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The first phase of the project has involved developing protocols, relationships and processes with the City, Council and the Advisory Committee, in addition to setting the stage for informing the community about the OCP update and gathering information.
Phase 2, Background Review, will identify the key issues and topics not covered in recent planning and technical processes. The purpose of Phase 2 is to build awareness about the project in the community with kick-off engagement activities and develop a framework to identify the gaps to ensure additional planning work is conducted where necessary. The consultant team, the City and the Advisory Committee have worked together to develop this framework. Dating back to 2007, the City of Rossland has completed a compendium of detailed plans on topics ranging from Asset Management, Active Transportation, Housing Needs, Arts and Culture, Heritage and Climate Change. It is important to note that many of the detailed plans produced to date do not have gaps (Heritage Plan, collection of Climate documents). While these topics may not be specifically discussed, relevant policies will be incorporated into the creation of the updated plan in Phase 4.
Phase 3, Community and Stakeholder Engagement activities will be kicking off in March and will carry on through the Spring. At the end of Phase 3, through the consultation process, the project team will have drafted a Vision for the OCP update, as well as growth scenarios that will inform the OCP draft. This phase involves a mixture of broad public engagement with a public online survey, as well as focused workshops and interviews with Rosslanders on key issues and topics that were generated in Phase 2. The Advisory Committee will be heavily involved in the community engagement activities in an effort to engage with as many Rosslanders as possible. For additional information, the Public Engagement Plan is available by contacting [email protected].
Phases 4 and 5 will occur over the late summer, fall and winter. These phases will include the preparation and refinement of the Official Community Plan. The project is anticipated to be finalized in Phase 6, early in 2022 with a presentation to City Council for consideration and adoption.
Advisory Committee
Rossland has an impressive track record over the years of employing civic engagement through strategic advisory committees, steering committees and project-based community engagement, supported by strong citizen leadership. In 2020, the City invited community members to apply for membership to the Official Community Plan Advisory Committee (OCP-AC) by means of a letter outlining how they represent or have experience in a number of topic areas, including environmental stewardship, business, tourism, youth and seniors, arts and heritage, and recreation and trails to name a few. City Administration and Council selected 11 committed Rosslanders, including the Mayor and two Councillors, to represent the community’s interest in the development of the OCP goals, objectives, policies and implementation.
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1.2 Rossland Community Snapshot Rossland represents a unique mountain community, tucked high away from other towns and cities in the region. The City has an existing aesthetic and lifestyle that many municipalities are striving hard to achieve. The community fabric is strongly oriented around an active, outdoor lifestyle – the Kootenay spirit carrying through all events and activities in the City, both a home and a destination hub built to live, work, and play. As with many mountain towns, a divergence can often be felt between the “locals” who possess a historical connection to the area, and the newcomers who have moved in search of a mountain lifestyle. The following provides the most recent available information about the community, gathered from census data, BC assessments, the City of Rossland’s records and other sources.
1.2.1 Population and Growth In 2016, the population of Rossland was 3,729 (source: Statistics Canada). Since then, two sets of growth projections have been created regarding the population and household numbers in Rossland; both are based on a population of 3,729.
1. The 2020 Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) Housing Needs Report presents a negative growth scenario. 2. The second set of projection was based on the growth rate used in the Provincial Government of British Columbia 2019 population statistics and projections. RDKB & BC Government Anticipated Population and Households, Rossland (2019 to 2031)
Net 2019 Change 2016 2021 2026 2031 Index (2019- 2031) RDKB Housing Needs Report 3,729 4,072 4,000 4,028 4,027 -45 (2020) BC Provincial Population 3,729 3,988 4,088 4,348 4,606 618 Projection (2019)* * Based on the Growth Rate of the 2019 BC Provincial Population Projection1 Between 2019-2031, RDKB is anticipating a decline in 2031, but the provincial projection anticipates 15% growth, representing an increase of almost 618 people, around 250 new households, based on 2.4 people per household.
1 Government of British Columbia, 2019, www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/data/statistics/people-population- community/population/population-projections
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Background and Key Issues Report February 2021
After discussing with the City administration, it is suggested that the BC Provincial population projection scenario could be used to inform the growth-related policies in the OCP. In addition, besides quantifying the future growth, the following questions need to be discussed further through the upcoming engagement events to gather Rosslanders’ thoughts on the future growth: • What is the optimum size of Rossland? • How does the pandemic affect Rossland from the growth perspective? • How does the growth contribute to affordability? • How does the new and existing infrastructure support the growth?
1.2.2 Housing and Affordability Housing in Rossland is largely made up of single-family homes. This means limited options for seniors looking to downsize, or options for young working people wanting to enter the homeownership market. There are also limited options for accessible units and a lack of units to accommodate seasonal workers looking for rental housing. Housing diversity provides options for individuals and families at different stages of life with different needs. Creating sustainable housing in a community should be an opportunity to improve quality of life, social cohesiveness, climate resilience and environmental stewardship. - The average price for a residential home in Rossland between January and August 2020 was $508,000 2 - The average tax assessed value for single family homes rose to $380,000 in 2020.3 - Based on a total dwelling unit count of 1,984 in 2019: o Single family homes account for 70.5% with an assessed value of $350,062 o Strata Lot Residence (Condo) represent 12.8% with an assessed average value of $243,407 o Row Housing accounts for 5% of all unit types with an assessed average value of $340,4604 - In 2016, the median total income of owner households was $89,415 5 - The 2016 median total income of renter households was $46,464 6 - The number of homeowners in Rossland has increased between 2006 and 2016 from 1,160 to 1,260. 7 - The number of rental households increased by nearly 75% over the same period, increasing from 190 to 330.8
2 Kootenay Association of Realtors, 2021 3 BC Assessment. 2019 Assessment Roll 4 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population 5 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population, 2016 Long-form Census Data 6 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population, 2016 Long-form Census Data 7 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population, 2011 National Household Survey, 2006 Census of Population and 2006, 2011, 2016 Long-form Census Data 8 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population, 2011 National Household Survey, 2006 Census of Population and 2006, 2011, 2016 Long-form Census Data
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Background and Key Issues Report February 2021
- Renter housing increased from 14% to 21% from 2006 and 2016.9 - Regarding affordability, 33% of renter households reported spending more than 30% of income on shelter costs in 2016. Ten percent (10%) of renters in Rossland are considered to be in extreme core housing need 10
1.2.3 Employment Rossland is a city of many different functions: a city with small town feel, a bedroom community, a service centre for Red Mountain, a picturesque repose for employees working in Trail, etc. Rossland depends on tourism (skiing, biking, trails, golf), Teck operations in Trail, the School District, and the Regional Hospital in Trail. The tax base is very much based on tourism and residential housing. The opportunity for a newly remote workforce has growth potential in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. ‒ From 2006 to 2016, the industries with the most significant increases in the numbers of workers include Health care and social assistance (+105), Professional, scientific and technical services (+60), Educational services (+35), and Utilities (+25)11 ‒ From 2006 to 2016, the industries which were ‘holding steady’ included Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, Construction, Manufacturing, Finance and Insurance, Accommodation and Food Services, and Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services.12 ‒ In 2016, the unemployment rate in Rossland was 7.1%, close to the provincial rate of 6.7% 13
1.2.4 Municipal Services The City provides many services that impact the daily lives of those who live and work in Rossland, including operations and public works, emergency services and development services. The city manages the distribution of water and collection of wastewater, maintenance of city streets, infrastructure and civic facilities. The municipality also provides a range of social, community and recreation services to meet the needs of all Rosslanders. ‒ There are over 50km of roads, streets and lanes within the City, which require a high level of service, particularly during winter conditions 14 ‒ Wastewater from showers, toilets and business use end up in the sanitary sewer collection system which run under roads and other right-of-way; it is then transported to Regional District’s Columbia Pollution Control Centre in Trail for treatment.
9 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population, 2011 National Household Survey, 2006 Census of Population and 2006, 2011, 2016 Long-form Census Data 10 Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, 2020 House and Home, RDKB Housing Needs Report 11 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population, 2011 National Household Survey, 2006 Census of Population and 2006, 2011, 2016 Long-form Census Data, Consultants calculations 12 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population, 2011 National Household Survey, 2006 Census of Population and 2006, 2011, 2016 Long-form Census Data, Consultants calculations 13 Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Population, 2011 National Household Survey and 2006 Census of Population 14 City of Rossland, 2021, www.rossland.ca/operations
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‒ All stormwater from the City and Redstone ends up in Trail Creek, while stormwater in the Red Mountain area enters the Topping Creek Catchment. Both of these streams are fish bearing and are tributaries of the Columbia River. ‒ Rossland is one of ten communities in B.C. that is recognized in 2019 by the Province as age- friendly. This designation indicates that the municipality is very supportive to age-friendly initiatives to ensure that seniors can live active, social engaged and independent lives15.
1.2.5 Nature and Recreation The pristine, natural landscapes in Rossland and the recreational opportunities they represent are significant to the community. The incredible access to year-round recreation options in town, on Red Mountain and in the surrounding backcountry is often cited as a main reason why residents choose to put down roots here. Rossland has over: ‒ 86 hectares of parks and open space16 ‒ 107 hectares of the Golf Course17 ‒ 1543 hectares at Red Mountain18 ‒ 3200+ hectares of undeveloped resource management area 19 ‒ 188km + of trails20 ‒ The outdoor pool ‒ The arena, including curling rinks ‒ Outdoor tennis courts
1.2.6 Arts, Culture and Heritage Community efforts related to heritage conservation awareness and protection have been a part of Rossland’s community culture for many decades. The City has a number of heritage organizations, initiatives, bylaws and policies that reflect this committed approach. ‒ The tangible aspects of Rossland’s heritage character - such as building design, streetscapes, mountain views, monuments and recreational facilities, can be seen and physically conserved. ‒ Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre showcases how the Golden city was founded, rich with history in mining and geology, and today with skiing and recreation ‒ As of 2020, Rossland has 30 heritage buildings and over a dozen sites included on the City’s heritage register ‒ In addition to the comprehensive Heritage Management Plan, The Rossland Council for Arts & Culture (RCAC) have developed Art Matters, a community arts plan for Rossland. ‒ Rossland has a number of arts organizations, including RCAC, Columbia River Writers, Rossland Mountain Film Festival, Gold Fever Follies, Rossland Arts Centre Society, Rossland Pottery
15 City of Rossland, Age-Friendly Assessment, 2018 16 City of Rossland, GIS Mapping Data, Consultants calculations 17 City of Rossland, GIS Mapping Data, Consultants calculations 18 City of Rossland, GIS Mapping Data, Consultants calculations 19 City of Rossland, GIS Mapping Data, Consultants calculations 20 City of Rossland, GIS Mapping Data, Consultants calculations
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Background and Key Issues Report February 2021
Society, Rossland Light Opera Players, Blizzard Fest, Tourism Rossland, BC Festival of the Arts, Registered Music Teachers of BC – Trail Branch, “Madhu Collective”, individual artists and art lovers 21
21 Rossland Arts Council, https://rosslandartscouncil.com/art-matters/
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SECTION 2 Background Review and
Key Issues
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Background and Key Issues Report February 2021
2 Background Review:
Past Planning Work and Key Issues.
The background review of past planning work is based on the framework established in the City of Rossland’s Strategic Sustainability Plan (SSP). The 11 Focus Areas defined in the SSP provide broad land use and community topic areas. These 11 Focus Areas were presented to the Advisory Committee as a starting point to review and assess the large volume of background information and technical documents produced by and for the City of Rossland since 2007. The consultant team initially reviewed the background planning documents to identify gaps in the 2008 OCP. This approach was confirmed with the AC in January 2021 to identify the key issues or gaps in policy. This review also generated a number of ideas and suggestions from Administration, Council and the AC. There was general consensus among the City, AC and consultant team that adjustments would be made based on further analysis and public engagement.
Four key themes emerged from this process as lenses that should be applied to policy development when drafting the OCP in Phase 4. They are Adapting to the Future, the Natural Environment, Affordability and Sense of Community.
The following 11 Focus Areas include this information:
‒ OCP subtopics, as per the 2008 OCP ‒ A summary table reflecting the relevant policy or technical documents, what the documents recommend and the outcome ‒ Categorized lists that highlight key issues, new topics to consider, and areas for further examination or work.
2.1 Land Management Building a compact, diverse and green community
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Growth Management ‒ Parks and Trails ‒ Housing and Residential Lands ‒ Downtown Core ‒ Commercial Lands ‒ Industrial Land
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SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
RECOMMENDED DOCUMENT OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS ACTION(S)
Asset Management Incorporate Five Phases Embedded as Action Plan item in Investment Plan (2017) into capital budgets (p.34) current Corporate Strategic Plan (2019-2022)
Visions to Action (2008) 147 Actions Increase in multi-family dwellings.
Increase in number of secondary suites.
Zoning Bylaw Implementation Increase in multi-family and secondary suites
KEY ISSUES
2.1.1 Sustainable Growth Targets, Forecasts and Taxes a. Examine growth options as urban migration & COVID trends are increasing housing costs and impacting affordability
b. Understand how growth – or lack of growth - will impact climate goals and social needs
c. Consideration needs to be given to an end-point, or a phased approach to growth. For example, early on ‘free-reign’ on single-family/detached housing stock, progressing to exhausted infill capacity, then scrutiny for any new buildings
d. Identify proposed forecasting methodology for population and housing type need (consider different forecasting tools and sources)
e. Inventory of development lands as compared to forecast of housing needs, including by housing type
f. Identify the key drivers of population growth or decline, and what is influenced by City policies. Does Rossland’s property taxes impact population growth and how does it compare to communities in the surrounding area?
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g. Discussion of taxes needs to not only compare municipalities of a similar size, but also that offer similar services and have similar, residential tax base to ensure a reasonable comparison.
2.1.2 Regulatory
a. Increase diversity in housing types for different demographics
b. Address the lack of capacity for underground infrastructure that increases the costs of incremental infill development
c. Review infill design guidelines and climate / energy policies to ensure that affordable housing development is still possible
d. New builds in established neighbourhoods need to compliment existing form and character
e. Assess incentives to support smaller scale infill builds and tiny or flexible homes
f. Showcase best buildings (ie new house) to encourage step code, innovative design and construction, etc. Could or should Rossland be a leader in residential energy?
g. Streamline zoning bylaw to improve usability
h. Review regulations that support or hinder food production and community greenhouses
2.2 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE LANDS Stewardship of our mountain ecosystem
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Natural Environment ‒ Parks and Trails ‒ Resource Management
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SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
RECOMMENDED DOCUMENT OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS ACTION(S)
State of Climate Adaption Water monitoring, Subdivision Servicing Bylaw nearly (2017) emergency preparedness, complete. infrastructure planning, Initiated natural asset inventory to backyard farming/ ultimately incorporate into Asset agriculture Management Plan
Community Wildfire Risk Reduction and Implementing CWPP. Actions Protection Plan Update (IP) Management Strategies include extensive fuel treatment of City owned and Crown Land, Community Wildfire promoting Firesmart Protection Plan (2013) neighbourhoods, Ongoing education.
Food Charter (2017) Consultant hired for 2021 OCP
KEY ISSUES 2.2.1 Community Education and Passive Recreation Opportunities a. Develop policy to purchase back rail grade for contiguous linear walking, cycling and wheelchair path through town (Greenbelt or Green link around/through town)
b. Explore idea of a Community Forest
c. Update and strengthen language around Human-wildlife interface/interactions
d. Organization issue: parks and trails policies may fit better in recreation
e. Soil management and invasive species considerations for the public
f. Increase number of areas of town that follow firesmart guidelines
g. Invasive species present a risk area for costs to the city and costs of development
2.2.2 Protected Lands and Environmental Asset Management a. Protecting green spaces and wetlands, advocating for protection of pockets of old growth nearby, with clear designated no-build zones to protect natural spaces.
b. Engage with community farmers on how we can better accommodate local farm food to Rossland tables
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c. Water capture systems for holding storm water, hugels, etc. Guidelines for subdivision development
d. Look at opportunities for logging practices with ski opportunities. Rossland’s perimeter could be selectively logged with patchy clumps versus clearcuts. This type of logging equals healthier forests, good firebreaks, good skiing.
e. Review tree removal bylaws
2.3 COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Building a sustainable and diversified economy
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Community Economic Development
SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENT RECOMMENDED ACTION(S) OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS
Rossland Resort 5 RMI projects (signage, In progress Development Strategy washrooms, shuttles, etc) (2019-2022)
Visions to Action (2008) Accommodation Revenue Holding Steady (IR 2018)
Building Permits increasing.
More Rosslanders working in Rossland.
Increase in Business licenses.
General increase in accommodation revenue (until this year.)
KEY ISSUES 2.3.1 Local Considerations a. Remote working needs improved internet
b. Home based business opportunities could be expanded
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c. Policies to support opportunities for local businesses - Buy and support local campaign well past pandemic is over.
d. Support for arts & culture economy (embed regulations to support Art Matters Plan and Heritage Management Plan)
e. Consider an active campaign to recruit remote workers – provides a better business base to Rossland with little or no support required from the City
f. Coming up with clear incentives to new start up business in Rossland. How do we encourage growth while maintaining our heritage and what makes our town so special?
g. Snow / Cold / Darkness – incorporate policies to improve the winter season for the community and tourists
2.3.2 Socio-economic Issues a. Affordability
b. Transportation & access
c. Healthcare & access
d. Divide between those wanting resource extraction and not
e. What direction does this community want to go: only available for the wealthy and focus on economic growth? Or retention of “Rossland” features of accessibility and welcoming?
f. Penticton has one of (the?) highest overdose rates right now – anticipate that moving this way.
g. Youth in Kootenays have highest vaping rates in province
Note: There is a new Economic Development Task Force (under the Sustainability Commission) who can/should contribute to the OCP.
2.3.3 Tourism a. Identify lots with B&B zoning
b. Review short term rental policies and restrictions
c. Review regulations to embed in OCP from Hwy 3 Destination Development Plan and LCIC Plans
d. Need for multi-season tourism economy
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2.4 RECREATION AND LEISURE Supporting the active Rossland lifestyle
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Parks and Trails ‒ Community Services and Facilities
SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENT RECOMMENDED ACTION(S) OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS
Report: The Rossland Arena Ice plus gym flooring In progress
Visions to Action (2008) Increase level of participation Holding steady (IR 2018) in City Rec programs Have increased the number and length of trails
Rosslanders continue to be very active community.
Art Matters Plan New – to incorporate into OCP
KEY ISSUES 2.4.1 Recreation
a. Desire for a recreation masterplan to tie in with Green Link and Active Transportation plans or policies. Needs to be somewhat regional.
i. Washrooms at trailheads for hikers and bikers.
ii. Calls for a bike wash in town.
iii. E-bike recharging station and designated ebike trails
iv. Parks and recreation plan for acquisition of playgrounds, etc. Possible new playgrounds: Red Mtn, Redstone, Pinewood
v. Rossland pool: its lifespan and need for extensive renos and repairs and cost analysis. Are there other options to pursue?
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vi. Facility document that also looks at buildings not in the control of the city to make sure all community assets are being utilized for recreation and leisure
vii. Trail to museum from downtown
viii. Restrict dogs on some trails - on leash/off leash trails to monitor (Centennial trail, watershed area)
ix. Dog tie up stations, between signage (Ie Ferraros, Thrift store), all stations must be in shade (tie up station behind House of Paws?)
x. Safety concern for shoulder on Nancy Greene highway (dangerous for cyclists)
b. Mobility for seniors and children, though many people choose to live here for really active recreation.
c. Integration with active / multi-modal transportation, parking, etc
d. Consider developer contributions (financial or non-financial contributions) to recreation facilities or green space
e. Protect existing trails from development (Bear trail in Happy Valley)
2.4.2 Arts, Culture, Heritage
a. Emphasis on all art forms - Art Matters Plan
b. Heritage Management Plan policies
c. Year-round activities for locals
d. Festivals
e. Applying language about who and what we are
f. Consider museum activities and support
g. Arts, culture & Heritage should be its own section. Needs to be split from rec and leisure as recreation overpowers everything else in ski/bike town
h. Administrative perspective: heading is wrong – Recreation, Arts and Culture
i. Alternate section name: Arts, Culture, Recreation
j. Alternate section name: Arts and Recreation
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2.5 HOUSING & AFFORDABILITY Affordability through diversity, efficiency, innovation and flexibility
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Housing and Residential Lands ‒ Community Services and Facilities ‒ Community Economic Development
SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENT RECOMMENDED ACTION(S) OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS
Housing Needs Assessment Completed. See document for 2020 recommendations
Lower Columbia Region Monitor needs Increase in multi-family Housing Need and Demand dwellings. Assessment Update (2015) Increase in number of secondary suites.
Visions to Action (2008) Property Taxes Needs Attention (IR 2018)
Zoning Bylaw Allows a variety of infill options
KEY ISSUES 2.5.1 Affordable Rentals
a. Review Short term rental policies
b. Need zoning to match the future vision of our town. Areas that are best suited for rental units
c. Midtown transition project- nearing tender. Optimistic about moving forward.
d. Lack of seniors housing impacts entire community. Because seniors have no options for downsizing, their existing homes are not available for families.
e. Overall equity in access to housing
f. Discussion on Bhubble re “Does Rossland Need a Housing Project” (http://www.bhubble.com/discussions/node/126145) Questions the need for a housing project; suggests that housing can be used as a ‘growth calmer’ to inhibit untethered growth.
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g. Consider staff housing needs at Red Mountain
h. Broaden the topic to include ‘affordability’ generally. Recognize that it is more expensive to live in Rossland due to higher taxes, fewer transportation options, etc. in addition to high cost of housing.
i. This delicate conversation is a hot topic that needs to be addressed as a community. Where can affordable housing be and how affordable will it be?
j. Do we agree with Housing Needs Assessment (2020) population projects and housing needs?
k. Given much lower cost housing in surrounding area, should affordable housing be better supplied by surrounding area?
l. Is there a need for senior housing with many more amenities than currently available in senior housing in surrounding area and in Rossland?
m. Should Rossland taxpayers assume development risks (financial and non-financial) of affordable housing?
n. Consider Whistler Housing Authority model?
2.5.2 Development / Ownership Costs and Concerns
a. Infill needs additional investigation. Water and sewer capabilities may not support future development without potentially costly upgrading
b. Tax discussions need to consider communities of similar size and tax base
c. Housing Needs Assessment falls short – lacks understanding of real estate transactions and overall cost of housing in Rossland
d. Cost of new construction/new builds. Rossland does not have DCCs
e. Second homes are not yet an issue, but should be considered in light of affordability and vacancy to ensure the flavour of the community
2.6 TRANSPORTATION Getting around with ease and efficiency
OCP SUBTOPICS:
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‒ Parks and Trails ‒ Transportation
SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
RECOMMENDED DOCUMENT OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS ACTION(S)
Active Transportation Generally On Track, (IR 2018) Plan (2009) Implementation Strategy • City has 57 km of walking / biking trails (outlines immediate first within City limits and a total of 152 km of steps and key priorities) trails
• Bike racks installed downtown to encourage bike use
• Bike lanes have been incorporated in upgraded City streets (Washington &
Spokane)
• A bike commuter route between Rossland and Trail is being pursued
KEY ISSUES 2.6.1 General a. Develop multi-modal transportation plan/section
b. Regional focus, goods movement, asset management
c. Transportation between Rossland and other communities in the area is especially important, “given that many services and amenities are provided elsewhere.” (Rossland Age- Friendly Action Plan, 2018)
d. Employment transportation. EVs / EV infrastructure, - 100% renewable plan calls for EV strategy.
e. Travel Demand Management Strategies
f. Parking approach, downtown and with infill development
2.6.2 Transit a. Public transit is regional, Shared service with East End Services-RDKB service. Expensive, not well utilized. except for shuttle. (red and airports in Kelowna and Spokane)
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b. Better public transit is needed. More options for shuttling on trails from Trail/Warfield (if there is demand should have more options)
c. Transportation to and from Trail is severely limited, especially for shift workers, anyone not on a 9-5 schedule.
d. People will bike to work and bus home in summer, but bus only has space for 2 bikes, often full.
e. Inequity in transportation – times, routes, access due to infrastructure & other barriers, incl lack of winter maintenance (rural capacity issue)
f. Teck shuttle has been tried & failed (comes & goes over years) – community ‘wants’ carpooling but does not support it; also, Kootenay Carshare
g. BC Transit & Selkirk college worked out new schedule to accommodate students from Trail- Castlegar and is full.
h. Youth ID transit (lack thereof) as huge barrier – can’t go see a movie or go to a hockey game, even on Fri (‘late night’)
i. Kootenay Carshare Cooperative (affordable transportation)
j. City transit
k. Need to make sure there are regulations to protect taxi service in face of Uber type services
2.6.3 Active Transportation a. Update Active Transportation Plan to look at winter use and maintenance, improving trails, better signage.
b. Consider incentives to support E-bikes, commuter trail
c. Lack of sidewalk between Kirkup and bus stop at Centennial parking lot problematic.
d. Rossland’s Age-Friendly Action Plan identified a number of transportation issues as “high priority”, noting that Rossland's steep topography and snowfall make getting around challenging for seniors.
2.7 INTERGENERATIONAL CARE AND LEARNING Providing community-based services for all ages and abilities
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Community Services and Facilities
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SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENT RECOMMENDED ACTION(S) OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS
Lower Columbia Healthy 4 Actions/Goals related to Supported through other Communities Plan (2017-19) physical activity, vulnerable initiatives / efforts populations, local
transportation access and food security
Age-Friendly Assessment & Implementation outlined pg 25 To be incorporated in OCP AP (2018) update
Visions to Action (2008) Student Enrollment Needs Attention (IR 2018)
Volunteerism Holding Steady (IR 2018)
KEY ISSUES 2.7.1 Community
a. No intergenerational learning and mentoring programs appear to exist within Rossland recreation (SSP goal). Programs are divided into children/youth and adults.
b. Update Rossland Recreation to plan intergenerational activities, events etc.
c. Cycling Unlimited, the Rossland chapter of Cycling Without Age, focuses on promoting intergenerational connections. Once active (post-Covid), strong connections between the area Age-Friendly coordinator and CU volunteers should be encouraged.
d. Regional Age friendly program based in Rossland. Covid impacted, should pick up once pandemic is contained
e. Food/water security. Continued collaboration with farmers in Rossland & local region and grocers
f. Combine this section with Community or Social Values perhaps.
2.7.2 Education a. Lack of k-12 lost our public k-12 school. Still have through various other schools, like 7 summits. Have French school.
b. Rossland’s recreation, leisure and cultural offerings were highly rated in the Age-Friendly needs assessment; learning opportunities not so much.
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c. Secondary education (supporting post elementary students, RSS, French school, 7Summits)
d. Public education related to environmental sensitivities/ protections
2.8 SENSE OF COMMUNITY Building an authentic small town
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Community Services and Facilities ‒ Heritage
SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENT RECOMMENDED ACTION(S) OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS
Heritage Management Plan Multitude of actions identified 12 Heritage Policies to (2020) in plan incorporate into OCP
Arts Matters Plan (2021) Just completed. Also referenced under leisure
KEY ISSUES 2.8.1 Comments on Organization a. Expand on arts, history, culture
b. Similar to Recreation/Leisure section
c. Art Matters Plan – Incorporate policies
d. Heritage Management Plan – Incorporate policies
e. This isn’t a comfortable fit. arts and culture- everything above this could be its own section and should get more attention and emphasis. Events, displays, festivals and annual events could all be considered here.
f. Definitely not own section in OCP, maybe Social values heading?
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g. Change title to arts and culture (which contribute to solid sense of community, along with volunteerism. Sense of community enhanced by volunteerism
h. This could be a good brainstorming topic rather than an OCP cornerstone. Could be used to really get people to think about what kind of community they want to live in and what they like and don’t like about Rossland right now and then move into the deeper layers of how those wants, needs and lacks can be addressed in the various sub sections.
i. This section is less of a focus area and more of a principle or value
2.8.2 Thoughts and Ideas a. Rossland seniors reported very high levels of respect and inclusion in the 2018 Age- Friendly assessment – explore what contributed to this sense and ensure it continues.
b. Safe, respectful community and civil society
c. Recognize the lack of diversity in Rossland and explore ways to increase it.
d. Social Lens – again, this needs to be considered to improve diversity and an inclusive community- a right to affordable housing, a right to clean environment, a right to an accepting and diverse community
e. To consider is that as urban migration continues and drives affordability, the flavour of Rossland (and its sense of community) will shift, it already has. Only people with jobs or equity built up can afford to live here and monster homes are being allowed to be built. This can also be folded under CED.
f. fall fair/market fall, winter carnival & golden city days, rekindle, ski hill spring events, bring back the “Rock’n Twang” music festival, (slush cup/beer goggles)
g. nothing in town spring/summer. What defines Rossland in the summer, what kind of events could we have in the community? Music festival for local musicians (folk, family friendly)
2.9 ENERGY AND AIR QUALITY Minimizing our energy footprint
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Natural Environment ‒ Resource Management
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SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENT RECOMMENDED ACTIONS OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS
Mitigation Plans Various Actions to reduce City Buildings GHG in Corporate Strategic Community • Energy audits done for City Hall Operations and in the Energy & Emissions Plan and Arena Community. (SCEEP) 2015 • Energy efficient upgrades completed in City owned buildings (Arena; Miners Hall; City of Rossland – Official Museum; Seniors hall) Community Plan 2008 • Ongoing program to upgrade
lighting in City owned buildings Visions to Actions: (City Hall; Curling Rink; Library; Strategic Sustainability Arena; Seniors Hall) Plan 2008
Residential Buildings Rossland Active • Promoted workshops for Transportation Plan 2009 builders (with CEA): Energy Star; BC Energy Step Code
Rossland Corporate GHG • Adopted bylaw to encourage Reduction Plan 2016 infill development and increase housing density
• Partnered with Fortis in Rossland Energy Diet with 137 homes upgraded
• Partnered with Fortis in Phase 2 Energy Diet
• Annual “energy crawls” to promote energy efficient buildings
• City adopted Energy Efficient Building Incentive Policy to promote BC Energy Step Code
Commercial Buildings
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• Promoted free Fortis Energy Advisor Assessments for commercial buildings
Active Transportation
• City has 57 km of walking / biking trails within City limits and a total of 152 km of trails
• Bike racks installed downtown to encourage bike use
• Bike lanes have been incorporated in upgraded City streets (Washington & Spokane)
• A bike commuter route between Rossland and Trail is being pursued
Vehicular Transportation
• Electric vehicle charging stations have been installed.
• Partner in Kootenay Car Share program.
• Implemented Anti Idling Bylaw and downtown signage
• Ongoing annual support for transit bus service to Red Mountain during ski season
• Annual E-Bike and E-Car show and shines/test drives
City Fleet
• Ongoing upgrades to energy efficient vehicles and mobile equipment
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• Two electric bikes purchased for employee use
• Real time acquisition of City fleet fuel usage
Infrastructure
• All streetlights upgraded to LED’s
• Water users are 100% metered
Renewable Energy
• Conceptual studies done for solar PV on arena and public works shop roofs
• Solar monitoring station gathered 2 years of data to enable solar PV decisions (Report on V2A website)
• Participated in energy efficient woodstove replacement program with RDKB
• Investigated use of Pressure Reduction Turbine on City water mains
• Ongoing residential educational and outreach campaigns for renewable energy. E.g. Energy Crawl, solar tutorials.
Waste
• Supporting RDKB moving forward with organics diversion program.
• Ongoing education on backyard composting
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• Supporting local food production, e.g. farmers markets, community gardens, annual chicken and compost crawl, Seedy Sat Green Drink and seed swap, educational dinners.
• Plastic bag reduction bylaw Other
• Climate Action Reserve Fund bylaw that allocates CARIP rebates and an annual amount of $25.00 per tonne of measurable greenhouse gas emissions for each calendar year, which is determined annually as part of Climate Action Charter reporting. Reserve is used to fund climate action related activities.
• Tree Retention bylaw
100% Renewable A number of shifts to Kootenays Plan 2020 achieve by 2030:
• replacing conventional vehicles with EVs
• mode shift to Active Transportation
• energy retrofits to existing buildings
• improved efficiency of new buildings
• increase diversion of organic waste
Adaptation Plans Actions to support Rossland • Participation in regional local adapting to various climate government capacity building on Rossland’s Adapting to related risks such as water, climate change adaptation lead by Climate Change Plan RDI. E.g. Opportunity to engage
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2010 extreme weather, outside experts, facilitate peer learning and collaboration on best agriculture, flooding, practices, and/or provide targeted State of Climate wildfire. training to address common Adaptation Report 2017 needs/priorities on adaptation.
Provides indicators to • Implementing CWPP. Actions Rossland Community monitor Rossland’s include extensive fuel treatment of Wildfire Protection Plan response to Climate City owned and Crown Land, Adaptation. promoting Firesmart neighbourhoods, Ongoing education.
KEY ISSUES 2.9.1 Climate a. Need to incorporate all the various energy plans and climate plans into one document.
b. I don’t see air quality typically arising as a standalone concern (as opposed to various water quality and concerns). It is brought up in conjunction with wildfire season so maybe something on disasters & climate?
c. Mining applications and other resource extraction projects come up
d. This section could be tied to economic development or used a broader ‘climate lens’ perspective, highlighting indicators?
e. Lots of great stuff w/ EcoSociety and 100% Renewable Kootenays
f. Emergency plan (for wildfires, power outage, drought, air quality, pandemic, emergency routes, medical emergencies), if exists, should be included in OCP
2.9.2 Energy a. Aged housing is big energy issue
b. Should we establish energy-efficiency requirements for new single-family homes and 1-3 story homes?
c. Should energy-efficiency requirements be included in zoning by-laws,
d. step code adoption ahead of Prov requirements. Participation in CEA programs to educate builders, offer incentives.
e. upgrading our own facilities to be more energy efficient as improvements are made (ie arena, water treatment plan and proposed city hall)
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f. We need some mechanism to transition old housing stock to efficient houses.
2.10 WATER AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT Conservation and zero waste
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Utilities ‒ Resource Management
SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENT RECOMMENDED ACTION(S) OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS
Liquid Waste Management Upgrade the existing CPCC, In progress Plan (2020) extend existing outfall, additional recommendations
for solids, inflow and filtration systems
Solid Waste Collection and Maintain current collection In progress Services Review (2020) method, consider reducing collection frequency
Water and Sewer: Trends, Washington Water Completed Outlooks and Restructured Infrastructure Renewal Rate Model (2018) Project, Spokane Water Infrastructure Renewal
Project, Asset Mgmt investment policy developed
Water Smart Action Plan Methods for reduction of water Reduced water usage (2016)
KEY ISSUES 2.10.1 Water a. Rossland is fully metered and fairly watersmart
b. Is climate considered? Increased storm water, extreme weather events
c. Red’s impact on water w/ snow making (caused stir when first installed)
d. Reservoir – idea of turning it into rec site floats around every couple/few years
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e. BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) – research viability of Rossland (or Trail and Rossland) moving to state-of-the-art sewage treatment process. I don’t know enough about where we are at currently, but are the plant upgrades planned for Trail good enough? Include micro- hydro to generate power from Rossland’s waste
f. Water security (snowmelt & water management as community expands)
g. might be able to incorporate power generation into sewer line Rossland to Warfield. Need to keep on radar.
2.10.2 Solids a. Need to be a bear smart community (Bearproof curb-side containers, Community drop off points)
b. Bylaw to ban plastic bags, as regulations will get more demanding when prov/feds act.
c. RDKB moving towards regional organics collection program
d. “Refactory” recycling business based in Rossland
2.11 GOVERNANCE Efficient administration in accord with democratic principles
OCP SUBTOPICS:
‒ Governance
SUMMARY OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
DOCUMENT RECOMMENDED ACTION(S) OUTCOME/ACHIEVEMENTS
Corporate Strategic Plan 7 Priority Areas In progress (2019-2022)
KEY ISSUES
a. Current strategic plan being reviewed (Jan 2021). No significant changes. New one will be created after muni election in 2022.
b. City tries to reach out to public semi-regularly to gauge satisfaction, especially as we prepare budget but get very little input. Need to try new strategies/techniques.
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c. Need for moderated discussion forum, particularly during Covid, to allow residents to communicate their views on various City initiatives/decisions. Current options are limited, or unmoderated, resulting in disrespectful and unproductive discussions.
d. Stems from council a couple of cycles ago so not as big of a deal now but worth embedding values/principles of transparency in governance
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Section 3 Technical Review Summary
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3 TECHNICAL REVIEW SUMMARY
3.1 Climate Change and Resiliency
3.1.1 Background and Context Since the development of the Visions to Actions Strategic Sustainability Plan (SSP) in 2008, the City of Rossland has systematically developed and started implementing plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, increasing overall community resilience. As an OCP is a high-level planning document, it can not contain detailed information included in other policy documents but provides direction for undertaking projects that will contribute to overall resilience to climate change. Many municipal climate change plans prioritize greenhouse gas reduction over climate change adaptation. Adaptation and vulnerability are more complex issues that require long-term strategies integrated into operations, whereas mitigation is easier to define and measure in the short term. Climate change and resilience can be included in an official community plan in a specific section dedicated to climate change actions. Alternatively, climate change can be used as a holistic lens through which to assess all other policy decisions. The intent of incorporating a climate change lens into the OCP is to maintain quality of life, minimize disruptions to the natural environment, avoid significant costs with impacts from climate change, ensure the community continues to thrive under changing climate conditions. Given the context of Rossland’s current status of planning for climate change, there is a requirement for a focused approach in prioritizing actions that not only increase resilience but consider all of the other priority areas including affordability, housing, and nature to be future ready.
3.1.2 Comments and Considerations Land use planning is one of the most effective processes to facilitate local adaptation to climate change. Local governments have historically used tools available through the land use planning process including official plans, zoning, and/or development permits to minimize development risks to a municipality from floods, wildfires, landslides and other natural hazards. As the City continues to grow in population and size, the risks and vulnerabilities to a changing climate identified for the City will be intensified. Managing where and how growth is permitted in municipalities should integrate and prioritize new practices in land use planning to ensure new and existing communities are more resilient to climate change and assist in the goal of reducing GHG emissions. Growth management measures can include:
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‒ development of compact, mixed-use communities to decrease automobile use, GHG and air emissions; ‒ intensifying density in appropriate areas to make use of existing infrastructure; ‒ design and layout of new development areas including subdivisions; ‒ locating development outside vulnerable areas (e.g. unstable slopes); ‒ expanding tree canopy and promoting green roofs / cool roofs to reduce urban heat island effects; ‒ reducing stormwater runoff and pollution from urban and rural areas including the incorporation of low-impact development and green infrastructure; ‒ preserving open space and natural habitats to increase connectivity and functions; requiring alternative and renewable energy planning; and ‒ incorporating sustainable design and building practices in neighbourhood, site and building level approaches. If growth can be directed towards higher density walkable neighbourhoods and investments are made in active transportation, significant reductions in GHG emissions from transportation and building energy use can be achieved while also creating complete communities that support healthy and active living. Redirecting growth and higher densities will also have the benefit of protecting essential natural heritage, hydrologic, and landform systems, features, and functions while also supporting and enhancing the long-term viability and productivity of agriculture by protecting limited agricultural areas.
3.1.3 Existing Policy Review To understand the current climate change policy context in Rossland, the following documents were reviewed and assessed for strengths, weaknesses and gaps in current policy.
Vision to Action City of Rossland Strategic Sustainability Plan (2008) The Strategic Sustainability Plan acts as an overarching document that helps direct other plans such as the OCP and master plans. It expresses Rossland’s commitment to a sustainable future through a long-term community vision, principles, end-state goals, strategic directions and strategic actions. Of the 11 focus areas, the following directly contribute to increased climate change resilience and GHG reduction: • Building a compact, diverse and green community • Stewardship of our mountain ecosystem • Minimizing our energy footprint The Rossland Sustainability Commission has driven the successful implementation of the SSP actions through both volunteer and City led projects. The focus of action related to climate policy has been on reduction of energy consumption and Rossland’s carbon footprint. Indicator reports have been completed in 2014 and 2018 to track progress in the 11 focus areas with 55 end-state goals related to development, climate change, demographic shifts, and economic sustainability in Rossland.
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Official Community Plan (2011) The existing OCP identifies objectives and policies for climate action in Rossland. The Community Vision defines Rossland as “a resilient alpine community and a leader in balancing social, environmental and economic sustainability” in 2030. Policies supporting greenhouse gas reduction and climate change resilience can be found throughout the document:
SECTION OBJECTIVES POLICIES CLIMATE THEMES Section 12: 12.1.1, 12.1.3 12.2.3, 12.2.7, 12.2.10, Natural asset mgmt; limit wildfire interface; Growth 12.2.14 reduction of asphalt; reduction of vehicle use; Management building energy efficiency Section 13: 13.1.2, 13.1.3 13.2.1, 13.2.3, 13.2.4, Limit risk of interface wildfire; limit development Natural 13.2.7, 13.2.9 in flood prone or natural hazard zones; Hazards and protection of watershed; emergency response Constraints Section 14: 14.1.2, 14.2.7 14.2.3, 14.2.6, 14.2.8, Carbon neutral operations by 2012; promotion Natural 14.2.11, 14.2.14, of natural asset mgmt.; natural hazard risk Environment 14.2.17, 14.3.3, 14.3.4, mgmt.; promote energy efficiency; GHG 14.4.1, 14.4.2, 14.4.4, reduction; stormwater mgmt.; protection of 14.4.5, 14.5.1, 14.5.2, riparian zones; active transportation, tree 14.5.3 retention, maintain stream ecosystems; integrate energy reduction targets into land use planning; fuel efficient transportation; GHG reductions in operations; energy efficient building standards; reduce vehicle emissions, reduce residential particle emissions Section 15: 15.1.1 15.2.5 Self powered active transportation; links to Parks and neighbourhoods; GHG emissions reductions Trails Section 16: 16.1.7 Resource conservation (energy, water ,etc) Community Services and Facilities Section 18: 18.1.3 18.3.9, 18.3.12, 18.4.4, GHG emissions reductions – transportation and Housing and 18.4.7 buildings Residential Lands Section 19: 19.1.3 19.1.13 GHG emissions reductions – transportation Downtown Core Section 22: 22.1.5, 22.1.7 22.2.1, 22.2.4, 22.2.5, GHG emissions reductions – transportation; Transportation 22.2.21 promotion of active transportation, alternative fuels Section 23: 23.1.1, 23.1.2, 23.2.1, 23.2.3, 23.2.6, Infrastructure capacity; flood control; water Utilities 23.1.3, 23.1.7 23.3.1, 23.4.2, 23.4.3, quality and quantity; water conservation; 23.4.4, 23.4.5, 23.5.2, reduction of sewer I&I; GHG reduction – waste 23.5.4, 23.6.1, 23.6.2, disposal reduction & organics diversion, circular 23.6.4, 23.6.5 economy Section 26: 26.1.1, 26.1.4, 26.2.1, 26.2.2, 26.2.6, Promotion of natural asset management; Resource 26.1.6 26.2.7, 26.2.11, 26.2.18, watershed protection; renewable energy; Management 26.3.4
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Corporate GHG Reduction Plan (2016) & Community and Energy Emissions Plan (2015) The City of Rossland signed the Climate Action Charter committing to work towards becoming carbon neutral in its own operations. This corporate Action Plan for 2017-2020 developed by the Community Energy Association in partnership with the City of Rossland, provides a road map to reduce corporate energy consumption and emissions and includes four actions to reduce buildings emissions, eight actions to reduce fleet emissions, two actions related to infrastructure emissions and four actions related to governance. The baseline of 422 tonnes CO2e for this action plan was the 2008 GHG emissions inventory through the Carbon Neutral Kootenays project. To align with Provincial GHG reduction targets, Rossland set a target of 33% GHG reduction by 2020 from 2007 levels. The greatest opportunity for carbon reduction is through fleet emissions. Rossland has taken steps towards reducing corporate emissions by: • Reducing vehicle emissions by offering a $4,000 interest free loan for the purchase of an e- bike for staff and council with an uptake of three since 2019. • Energy audits done for City Hall and Arena • Energy efficient upgrades completed in City owned buildings (Arena; Miners Hall; Museum; Seniors hall) • Ongoing program to upgrade lighting in City owned buildings (City Hall; Curling Rink; Library; Arena; Seniors Hall)
The 2015 Strategic Community Energy & Emissions Plan SCEEP was developed through a workshop facilitated by the Community Energy Association and included Rossland City Council City staff and representatives from the Energy Task Force, Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, Fortis BC and a Certified Energy Advisor. The workshop group looked at energy, emissions, and energy expenditure data for the community as a whole and decided on an action plan to reduce community GHG emissions by 33% below 2007 levels by 2020. The actions in this plan will not achieve the target of 33% reduction but provide a balance of affordability and GHG emissions.
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The major actions for Rossland, listed by impacts in terms of annual GHG savings in the year 2020 are: ‒ Organics diversion – 544 tonnes / year ‒ Land use suite “enhanced” – 409 tonnes / year ‒ District Energy / Renewable energy systems – 255 tonnes / year
Climate Action Revenue Incentive (CARIP) public Report (2018) Since 2010, the City has annually reported on corporate GHG emissions and climate change adaptation actions through the Climate Action Revenue Incentive (CARIP) public REPort. Climate Action is classified into planning activities to set the stage for GHG emissions reductions, or other actions in the building, transportation, energy generation, natural resource protection, water and wastewater and solid waste sectors. Rossland has achieve a Level three in CARIP reporting where they are Accelerating Progress on Charter Commitments. As of 2018, Rossland’s reported corporate emissions were 396.91 tonnes CO2e, representing a 6% decrease since 2008 and no carbon offsets have been reported to reach carbon neutrality.
State of Climate Adaptation (2017) Rossland’s climate is changing, with data showing trends toward higher average temperatures, higher annual precipitation, more hot days, and more frequent freeze-thaw cycles. These actions are primarily related to emergency preparedness, interface fire risk reduction, and monitoring of community water supply. Rossland has had great success in potable water demand management through the implementation of universal metering, public engagement through the Water Smart Ambassador program and water loss management within the distribution system through pipe repairs and replacement. Opportunities to explore include addressing the increased number of freeze thaw events and extreme rainfall events into infrastructure planning and maintenance policies. While Rossland water demand is already below Provincial averages, full cost recovery utility rate setting could be implemented to achieve further water demand reductions as supply increases in vulnerability and
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watering restrictions have limited impact on managing peak summer demand.
Energy Efficient Building Incentive Policy (2019) To promote the implementation of the BC Energy Step Code, this policy subsidizes the costs associated with Eligible projects will be refunded a percentage of the Building Permit fees based on the EnerGuide rating of the building (for major renovations) and BC Energy Step Code level achieved after the project is completed (for new buildings). 100% Renewable Kootenays Plan (2020) The 100% Renewables plan was developed by the West Kootenay Eco Society in partnership with the City of Rossland to move towards shifts for the community to achieve by 2030: ‒ Develop an electric vehicle charging strategy ‒ Support residents and builders to increase efficiency in new and existing buildings ‒ Establish and improve trail network within Rossland and between Rossland, Warfield and Trail ‒ Participate in regional organics composting
Community Wildfire Protection Plan Update (2021 – in progress) Actions include extensive fuel treatment of City owned and Crown Land, promoting Firesmart neighbourhoods, ongoing education and leverage available grant funding to fund the plan. Subdivision and development Servicing Bylaw #2748 (2021) -pending adoption The previous Rossland OCP identified actions for staff to prepare amendments to the Subdivision and Development Servicing (“SDS”) Bylaw to promote Smart Growth and sustainable development practices.
The introduction of this new bylaw specifically addresses Council’s desire to address the impacts of climate change. The climate related clauses of the bylaw were adopted from the 2013 Columbia Basin Trust Model Subdivision and Servicing Bylaw to reduce community sensitivity to climate change and enhance capacity to respond and adapt to a changing environment including: Become more resilient to existing and future climate conditions; ‒ Reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; (offsite works and services exemptions for “sustainability” improvement to the site; installation of solar panels, etc) ‒ Conserve water resources; (water metering) ‒ Protect natural water courses; (erosion and sediment control policies, basic stormwater management BMPs, biofiltration, green roofs, etc) and ‒ Ensure appropriate evacuation routes and emergency response; The bylaw does not address the impacts of increased extreme rainfall events, and relies on conventional methods of designing stormwater infrastructure, prioritizing infiltration which may not be effective for increased winter rain events.
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There is an opportunity to further promote Smart Growth principles of trip reduction through mixed use developments. The language in this bylaw effectively promotes infill development of single family units through its offsite works and services exemption clauses. The SDS bylaw should be reviewed and revised once the OCP is finalised to ensure that the actionable bylaws are not in conflict with the OCP.
3.1.4 Issue Identification There are very few gaps in potential for climate policy updates as the City has seized all encompassing opportunities to study and understand potential actions for municipalities and has thus become a climate resilience leader in the region and Province over the past decade. The OCP is broader policy document and should direct the City to focus their climate change actions into a direct implementation plan, ensuring that future decisions also meet the affordability criteria. Several policies identified in the 2007 OCP have been successfully implemented and developed into bylaws where ideas become requirements for development (i.e. including infill development to the Zoning Bylaw Tree Retention Bylaw, Anti Idling Bylaw, etc). Many objectives and policies identified through the OCP still apply to the current context of Rossland, however the unfocused and unprioritized approach doesn’t provide effective direction to allocate limited resources.
3.1.5 Proposed Approach / Next Steps Integrating a climate lens into the review of all other policies will allow the City to prioritize actions and policies that meet all of the community criteria. A good OCP will direct your climate plan through the use of “sticks and carrots” where land use planning and bylaws become legislated and therefore get implemented. Operationalize the plans and focus on efforts where regional and provincial incentives can be leveraged. Set overarching goals and targets and embed them in zoning and bylaws. (ie incorporate Subdivision and Servicing bylaw to require storage of stormwater on site, limit post development flows to pre-development flows) Options to set development standards that meet Rossland’s future current and future needs. If development is inevitable, then ensure that we are left with a housing stock that will be resilient to the next 100 years or more. Long terms costs of sprawl are greater than infill development. Review existing and desired policies that are in conflict. Compact/multi family developments have much lower carbon impacts than sprawl as they limit transportation and land use. Apply natural assets or “green infrastructure” (forests, wetlands, street trees, parks, etc) as actual assets within the asset management plan. Make infrastructure decisions based on multi-factor assessments including climate, affordability, lifecycle costs, etc.
Elise Paré, P.Eng. National Practice Lead, Resilient Infrastructure
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3.2 TRANSPORTATION
3.2.1 Background Information A sustainable transportation system provides multi-modal transportation options that support accessibility for all ages and abilities, is affordable, reliable, efficient and is integrated with land use. Active transportation modes such as pedestrian and cyclists are prioritized through infrastructure investment and other sustainable transportation options such as public transit or shared mobility are promoted. Motor vehicles and trucks are accommodated through the roadway network. A multi- modal network is critical to creating a low-impact, environmentally friendly community that facilitates movement within a city and connects with the region.
The City of Rossland is served by two provincial highways: Highway 3B and Highway 22. Highway 22 provides a connection east to the City of Trail, Village of Warfield and Fruitvale. Highway 3B provides a connection north to the RED Mountain Resort. The City of Trail and Red Mountain are the largest employment areas for residents of Rossland. Highway 22 also bisects the city through the Downtown Core commercial area.
The City’s transportation network consists of a system of trails for walking, hiking, biking and skiing, a road network that includes collector and local roads and transit routes operated by BC Transit in the West Kootenay Transit System. The trail network consists of trails owned by the City and trails managed and maintained by the Kooteney Columbia Trails Society (KCTS). The private transportation options that operate in the city include rental car, taxi service, Rossland Ski Bus, Kootenay Gateway Rossland Ski Bus and the Kooteney Carshare Co-op. The City has also implemented three electric vehicle public charging station ports.
There are 57 km of total trail within the city boundary and 153 km of trails in the Rossland area (within and outside the city). The City has also worked to install bike racks in downtown to encourage bike use and bike lanes on upgraded City streets (Washington & Spokane). The City is currently pursuing a bike commuter route between Rossland and Trail. BC Transit operates two routes through Rossland that includes route 46 from downtown Trail to Rossland on weekdays and Saturdays and route 48 that operates between Fruitvale and Red Mountain on the weekend. BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) traffic data indicates that in 2018 Highway 22 had an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 6,452 which is an increase from the 5,346 AADT in 2012. Traffic data on 3B south of Red Mountain also indicates an increase in traffic from 2012 to 2018 at 1,323 AADT and 2,295 AADT respectively. While traffic volumes have increased, they are within acceptable levels for an arterial road based on Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Geometric Design Guidelines for Canadian Roads.
The City’s Indicators Report (2018) provides sustainable indicators to assess progress towards the Rossland Visions to Action Strategic Sustainability Plan. The report includes four metrics to
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assess transportation that include: journey to work mode split, transit ridership, length and location of trails and satisfaction with downtown accessibility. Key findings from this report indicate that metrics are on track to meeting the vision. A summary of findings is provided below:
• Reduction in vehicle drivers commute trips; increase in walk or bike commute trips;
• Increasing West Kooteney Loop Transit ridership; strong support for ‘Free Ride Bus’ from downtown to Red Mountain Resort during the winter months;
• Increase in total trail of 6% and 23.3% within the city; and,
• Overall, satisfaction with Rossland’s downtown accessibility remains high with respect to pedestrian and transit infrastructure. Some concerns exist regarding winter maintenance, trucks through town and vehicle congestion at crosswalk locations.
3.2.2 Comments and Considerations
The transportation system and the availability of different transportation options impact the cost of living, growth management, housing affordability, asset management and recreation opportunities. Sustainable transportation alternatives to single occupant vehicles including transit and active transportation can reduce the cost of living by removing the cost of vehicle ownership, maintenance, and infrastructure requirements. Traffic generated from growth can be reduced by shifting people towards sustainable transportation options. Investment in transit, active transportation and new mobility can improve accessibility and quality of life for residents and tourists. Active transportation infrastructure such as trails, sidewalks and bike ways can serve dual purposes of movement for commuting and for recreation. An integrated land use and multi-modal transportation system will support a sustainable future for Rossland.
Considerations for Rossland’s transportation system and the OCP include: ‒ Integration of transportation modes and operators; ‒ Topography and grades relative to viability of active transportation options; and, ‒ The function of Highway 22 and relationship to Downtown Core.
Rossland’s transportation system includes several different operators including BC Transit, BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Kooteney Columbia Trail Society, Regional District of Kootney Boundary (RDKB), private shuttle operators, car-share programs and taxis. In order to address commute and recreational transportation needs of the City, each element of the transportation system needs to be integrated.
Sustainability is a large focus for Rossland and there is a desire to shift people towards sustainable modes of transportation including active transportation, transit, carpool, car share and renewable energy options. The topography and grade of Rossland is a barrier to active transportation use for all ages and abilities. E-bikes provide an opportunity improve active transportation options in Rossland.
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BC Parks and KTSC have worked together to distinguish which trails are appropriate for E-bikes. A similar distinction may be required for active transportation routes through Rossland. Transit is operated by BC Transit who determine routes and frequency through the region. Incentives towards carpool, car-share and electric vehicles are options for Rossland but are reliant on available funding from grants.
Highway 22 is owned and operated by BC MOTI and bisects the downtown core of Rossland. The highway is also the primary route for truck traffic and connects communities east and west of Rossland. Modifications to this corridor requires significant collaboration with BC MOTI. The creation of alternative routes or bypass through the town requires careful consideration on the impacts to the local environment.
3.2.3 Policy Review
Vision to Action City of Rossland Strategic Sustainability Plan (2008) The Strategic Sustainability Plan acts as an overarching document that helps direct other plans such as the OCP and Master plans. It expresses Rossland’s commitment to a sustainable future through a long-term community vision, principles, end-state goals, strategic directions and strategic actions. Focus areas that pertain to a multimodal transportation network include focus area 4 – recreation and leisure and focus area 6 – transportation. General themes of each focus area is provided below:
• Increasing trails and green space ribbons including connectivity between neigbourhoods and between core and peripheral resort neighbourhoods;
• Creating a pedestrian friendly environment;
• Improving accessibility through transit options to resort communities and trail;
• Supporting “green” alternatives The transportation vision identified in the plan prioritizes active transportation, transit and other sustainable modes over single occupant vehicles. This vision is consistent with creating a sustainable, multi-modal transportation system.
Active Transportation Plan (2009) The Active Transportation Plan (2009) provides recommendations for improving conditions for walking, cycling and other active modes of transportation within the City and highlights that grades caused by topography are a significant barrier to active transportation. The plan identifies and prioritizes enhancements to active transportation infrastructure (paths, trails, sidewalks, etc.), suggests practical and policy initiatives and provides an implementation strategy.
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Connectivity to key active transportation generators including schools, parks, commercial centres such as Downtown, trail heads, Red Mountain base area etc. were reviewed within the City. Regional connections were not considered in this analysis. Focus was placed primarily on commuting needs between individual residences and Downtown. Recreational trips were treated as a secondary priority. 24 routes were identified based on existing use and potential linkages within the limits of topography and land access. Other considerations that were identified through the Active Transportation Plan includes the option of a funicular or “Magic Carpet” running from the bottom to the top of town, road classification specifying active transportation accommodation, utilization of old railgrades, winter maintenance, furnishings and lighting.
The Indicator Report (2018) identifies an increase of 11.05 km total City Trails since 2010. This metric suggests that the Active Transportation Plan is proceeding through implementation. The plan is currently missing a regional focus to commute trips that are more achievable as a result of e-bikes. Similarly, active transportation routes identified in the plan may need to be reviewed to confirm those that are appropriate for e-bikes.
Official Community Plan (2011) The existing OCP identifies objectives and policies for the transportation network with a focus on enhancing sustainable modes of transportation such as active modes and transit. Objectives include:
• Extending the existing trail network to all parts of Rossland and the surround region;
• Creation of ‘gateway’ entrances to Rossland and the downtown core;
• Reduce vehicle dependency by providing alternatives to private vehicles for transportation to and from resorts and neighboring communities;
• Encourage renewable energy sources and transportation that has a minimal impact on air quality; and,
• Mitigate traffic generation and traffic patterns that are hazardous to pedestrians
21 Policies are identified and align with the transportation objectives. In general, policies are focused on improving pedestrian and cyclist options and experience by developing a trail network, creating pedestrian and cyclists corridors, providing end of trip bike facilities and apply traffic calming. Other policies include improving public transit options through incentives and private-public partnerships, managing parking demand and funding road infrastructure upgrades through Development Cost Charges and capital expenditures. Schedule D delineates the Transportation Network and Schedule C includes the trail network that describes the aspirational network for the City.
Objectives and policies identified through the OCP still apply to the current context of Rossland. Other opportunities that may be considered with the updated OCP include the Transportation System Management Strategies, identification of policies and strategies with regional partners, and
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defining priority active transportation investments. Consultation with the City and Advisory Committee is required further confirm the state of existing objectives and policies.
Traffic Control Review (2013) The study included a reviewing of currently traffic control standards apply by the city, a field review that evaluated where traffic control improvements and the development of a traffic signing and road marking field book. 325 issues were identified through the review that were classified by type and priority. Further study items that were identified included a speed limit feasibility study that would assess if a 40 km/hr blanket speed limit would be accepted, effective and enforceable, a crosswalk study at Columbia Avenue and Miners’ Union Hall and further intersection geometric studies. The basis of this study was to identify traffic safety improvements and indicates that the City has an interest in improving traffic safety.
Rossland Age-Friendly Action Plan (2018) Rossland is one of ten communities in B.C. that is recognized in 2019 by the Province as age- friendly. This designation indicates that Rossland is taking steps to ensure that seniors can live active, social engaged and independent lives. The Age-Friendly Action Plan (2018) transportation goal identifies that public transportation and other mobility options exist, and they are accessible and affordable. In order to achieve this goal, the plan identifies four high priority items that include exploring public and private opportunities to enhance transit service, improve accessible infrastructure, and introduce subsidy programs. These actions require collaboration with entities such as BC Transit, West Kootenay Volunteer Driver Program and the RDKB.
Subdivision and Development Bylaw No.2748 (2021): Schedule B – Detailed Design Criteria – Roads of the Bylaw delineates the requirements for cross- sectional road elements such as sidewalks, trails and bikeways. Road classification is defined through the existing OCP. A 2.0 m minimum sidewalk is required on collector roads. No sidewalk is required on local streets which are most roads in Rossland. Arterial roads (Highways) are governed by BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Standards. Other standards that apply based on the bylaw includes the Master Municipal Construction Document.
3.2.4 Issue Identification
Issues that were identified through the public survey and advisory committee included winter maintenance and impacts to pedestrian safety, accessibility through Rossland and to adjacent communities using transit and active transportation and traffic growth. Survey respondents indicated that current winter maintenance practice reduce the vehicle through zone and windrows create visual obstructions to pedestrian crossings. Other comments indicated that transit service is too slow and infrequent to provide a viable transportation option for most residents.
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Improvements to transportation system should be completed holistically by understanding the role of each element and their relationships. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a term that conceptually refers to the integration of public and private transportation operators to support a traveler needs in conducting a trip. This concept may be of value to Rossland by considering how to improve connectivity within Rossland, to Red Mountain and to adjacent communities. An example of this might be to create mobility hubs that support first km/last km connections to transit through bike share and park and ride areas. Similarly, there may be the opportunity to leverage on-demand transit service through private operators to compliment public transit. Coordination of each travel option and alignment with trips types may improve efficiency of the overall network
The expansion of the trail network and construction of active transportation corridors is limited by available funding. In order to create a pedestrian friendly City and facilitate active transportation use, the City may need to concentrate investment in a limited number of corridors. Regional coordination and investment is also required to address regional connections. E-bikes provide an opportunity to increase use of active transportation but also introduces conflicts and safety implications with other active transportation users. Delineation of E-bike routes may be required to mitigate these conflicts.
Rossland is composed of residents and tourists. The transportation system needs to respond to the needs of both while striving for sustainability. Private partnerships and promotion of active transportation and transit options through tourism marketing is a key consideration.
3.2.5 Proposed Approach / Next Steps
Based on the background review and feedback collected through public survey and advisory committee, the transportation review will focus on strategies to enhance active transportation and improve integration between modes. The next stage of the transportation review within the OCP process will be the confirmation of transportation networks and policies in alignment with the land use objectives. In consultation with the advisory committee, priority focus areas for the transportation network will be established.
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3.3 INFRASTRUCTURE
This is a summary of the available utility and infrastructure assessments, and studies that were reviewed in preparation for drafting the 2021 Rossland Official Community Plan (OCP). It is intended to provide a high-level overview of the content of these reports, in order to quickly understand what information is available and may be relevant to the overall challenges and opportunities facing the City of Rossland (the City) in the coming years.
3.3.1 WATER SYSTEM
In this section, the following reports were reviewed:
‒ City of Rossland Water Source Assessment (2012), Urban Systems ‒ Asset Management Investment Plan (2017), Urban Systems ‒ Water and Sewer: Trends, Outlooks and Restructured Rate Model (2018), City of Rossland ‒ Watersmart Action plan (2016), Columbia Basin Trust The City obtains water for community use through three watersheds – South Murphy Creek, Hanna Creek and Topping Creek. Raw water is stored in two open reservoirs – Star Gulch and Ophir. These reservoirs are hydraulically connected, and water from both can be directly processed by the Water Treatment Plant (WTP). The City owns a water treatment plant, which is currently going through Upgrades (2021 Construction). After raw water has been treated, treated water is stored in three closed reservoirs. The water system consists of 47km of watermains, 1 pumping station and multiple pressure zones. The water source assessment report identifies required maintenance and recommended upgrades to the existing infrastructure and water source intakes; however, it is unclear what upgrades or recommendations have been completed to date. The overall water source system is in generally good condition.
A bylaw exists to limit outdoor water use during periods of drought – Outdoor Water Use Regulation Bylaw No. 2696, 2019.
Residential water services are metered, which a rate structure based on consumption brackets. The Water and Sewer: Trend, Outlooks and Restructured Rate Model report exposed that the water rate structure was not sufficient, and that a recommended rate structure with an annual 4% increased is recommended to allow sustainability of the water works capital fund.
The City of Rossland currently does not have a water system master plan. Water system master plans generally provide a comprehensive assessment of the existing condition and provide recommendations for ongoing maintenance and capital improvements. The City has a water model of the existing water system that allows to estimate performance of the water system, including available fire flow and residual pressures. The City has good asset inventory with an online GIS portal that contains existing information and mapping on all water, storm and sanitary infrastructure.
The asset management investment plan provides information on existing infrastructure value, as well as different estimated remaining service life of the infrastructure. It also provides a 20 year look ahead for major infrastructure improvements.
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In summary, the current needs of the water supply and distribution system are generally well understood. The foundations for establishing a sustainable financial model for the utility are in place, with utility rates requiring regular review. A water system master plan is required to identify future water system upgrade requirements and priorities. Options for developer-paid funds for needed capital improvements should be regularly explored, particularly in commercial and multifamily residential areas with high fire flow requirements and for future growth areas necessitating greenfield capital expansions or upgrades to the network (i.e., DCC Bylaw review).
NOTE: Based on FUS requirements, multi family development does not meet required fireflows, which would require water system upgrades by the developer. This has stalled some local development projects. In recent conversation, it has been brought to our attention that for sprinkler equipped buildings, there’s a NFPA regulation that may override FUS calculations. FUS requirements may not be the proper reference for multi family type developments.
3.3.2 SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM
In this section, the following reports were reviewed:
‒ Liquid Waste Management Plan (2020), WSP ‒ Asset Management Investment Plan (2017), Urban Systems ‒ Water and Sewer: Trends, Outlooks and Restructured Rate Model (2018), City of Rossland The City’s sanitary sewer network comprises of approximately 50km of gravity pipe, 3.2km of forcemain piping and a lift station.
The sanitary flows, along with the storm water, finds its way to the Regional Sewer Utility in the Regional District. The wastewater is then treated by primary treatment and released to the Columbia river. Costs of the Columbia Pollution Control Center (CPCC) are proportionately allocated to Trail, Warfield and Rossland based on metered flows.
The existing CPCC does not meet the Environmental Management Act requirements, which requires a minimum standard of secondary treatment to the wastewater, prior to be being released to the Columbia river. The Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) outlines a proposed new CPCC which will meet the requirements of the Environmental Management Act. Project costs have been estimated at $53M.
The LWMP recommends that all participating municipalities implement a storm drainage bylaw, as well as the development of a source control and water conservation education program to reduce the overall volume of produced wastewater.
The City of Rossland currently does not have a sanitary system master plan. The City has good asset inventory with an online GIS portal that contains existing information and mapping on all water, storm and sanitary infrastructure.
The asset management investment plan provides information on existing infrastructure value, as well as different estimated remaining service life of the infrastructure. It also provides a 20 year look ahead for major infrastructure improvements.
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3.3.3 DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
In this section, the following reports were reviewed:
‒ Liquid Waste Management Plan (2020), WSP ‒ Asset Management Investment Plan (2017), Urban Systems The City’s storm sewer network comprises of approximately 25km of gravity pipe and 1.6km of culverts.
The City of Rossland currently does not have a storm sewer system master plan. The City has good asset inventory with an online GIS portal that contains existing information and mapping on all water, storm and sanitary infrastructure.
The asset management investment plan provides information on existing infrastructure value, as well as different estimated remaining service life of the infrastructure. It also provides a 20 year look ahead for major infrastructure improvements.
The LWMP recommends that all participating municipalities implement a storm drainage bylaw, as well as the development of a source control and water conservation education program to reduce the overall volume of produced wastewater.
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Appendix A Food Security
in Rossland
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Food Security in Rossland Background Report | Feb 22, 2021
Prepared by Urban Food Strategies for WSP on behalf of the City of Rossland
Table of Contents 1) Introduction ...... 2 Key Food Security Concepts ...... 2 Roles in food security ...... 6 2) Food Security Planning Context in Rossland ...... 8 Food Assets in Rossland ...... 8 Rossland Community Health Profile ...... 9 Food Security Policy Review ...... 9 3) Food Security Issues and Opportunities ...... 11 4) Proposed Approach / Next Steps ...... 14
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1) Introduction This food security background report provides key concepts, planning context, preliminary identification of potential issues and opportunities and ideas for proposed approaches and next steps. Key Food Security Concepts There are five key concepts to clearly define at the outset of this planning process. These concepts provide an important starting point for understanding and assessing food security in Rossland. Household and Community Food Security Community food security is defined as: z A situation in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximize community self-reliance and social justice.1 The Rossland Food Charter also provides a consistent definition of food security that includes a stronger link to resilience: “FOOD SECURITY is the community’s ability to provide reliable access to sufficient nutritious and affordable food, provided in ways that are ecologically, socially, and culturally acceptable, and resilient to change.” This term assumes that the interconnected systems and organizations that impact human, ecological, and economic health are aligned to generate long lasting and sustainable solutions. Individual or household food insecurity looks more closely at the health of the individual on a nutritional and food access basis, aiming to move people vertically from low to high food security. Household food insecurity occurs when a household worries about or lacks the financial means to buy healthy, safe, personally acceptable food. Household food insecurity can occur at three levels: marginally food-insecure; moderately food insecure; severely food insecure.2,3 While local governments have many ways to increase food security and interact with many dimensions of the food system, they are limited in their ability to directly address some of the core drivers of food insecurity such as poverty and low- income status of residents. However, there are areas where local governments do have influence in some of these areas of food insecurity. For example, affordable housing and local economic development, often priorities for local government as implemented through regulation, incentives, and land use planning, can positively impact household income and food security.
1 Hamm, M.; Bellows, A. (2003).Community Food Security and Nutrition Educators. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 35 (1): 37–43. 2 Li N, Dachner, N, Tarasuk, V, Zhang, R, Kurrein, M, Harris, T, Gustin, S, Rasali, D. Priority health equity indicators for British Columbia: Household food insecurity report. Vancouver, BC: Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)2016. 3 Tarasuk, Valerie, Andy Mitchell, and Naomi Dachner (2012). Household Food Insecurity in Canada 2012. PROOF.
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Figure 1: Household and Community Food Security
Goals of Food Security The Population and Public Health program at BC Centre for Disease Control outlines the goals of food security as: Increase[ing] physical, social, and economic access to nutritious, safe, personally acceptable food with a focus on increasing availability of healthy food produced in a sustainable manner.4 This food security goal encompasses a broad scope of food security definitions, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization FAO definition,5 community food security 6 and individual and household food insecurity.7
4 Provincial Health Services Authority. Food Security. Vancouver, BC: Provincial Health Services Authority; 2016 [cited 2016 Sept 25] 5 FAO. World Food Summit. United Nations; 1996 [cited 2006 May 1]; Available from: http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/003/w3613e/w3613e00.htm. 6 Hamm MW, Bellows AC. Community Food Security and Nutrition Educators. Journal of Nutrition Education Behaviour. 2003; 35:37-43 7 Li N, Dachner, N, Tarasuk, V, Zhang, R, Kurrein, M, Harris, T, Gustin, S, Rasali, D. Priority health equity indicators for British Columbia: Household food insecurity report. Vancouver, BC: Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)2016
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Food System A food system consists of the inter-related stages that food goes through from the natural soil, water, and air resources that enable us to grow/raise/hunt/fish/forage food to the personal and commercial practices of harvesting, processing, storing, distributing, buying, selling, eating, celebrating, and recovering waste. These stages make up the basic elements of a food system. Education, governance and capacity building are key supports for the food system. Food systems exist at multiple scales including local, regional, provincial, national, and international. Six elements of a food system may be described as: 1) Primary food production 2) Processing and storage 3) Distribution and transportation 4) Buying and selling, 5) Eating, culture, and celebration, and 6) Waste recovery. Figure 2 depicts a simplified view of a food system. There are many food system diagrams and models that describe the elements somewhat differently, but the core ideas are largely consistent. A sustainable food system 8 furthers the ecological, social, and economic health of a community, region, province, country, and world and can be reproduced over multiple generations. Characteristics of a sustainable food system include, but are not limited to the list below. A sustainable food system: • Is secure, and therefore reliable and resilient to change (including climate change, rising energy prices, etc.) and accessible to all members of society; • Is energy efficient; • Is an economic generator for farmers, whole communities, and regions; • Is environmentally beneficial or benign; • Uses creative water Figure 2: Food and Agriculture System. Source: Urban Food Strategies reclamation and conservation strategies for agricultural uses; • Balances food imports with local capacity; • Adopts regionally-appropriate agricultural practices and crop choices; • Contributes to both community and ecological health; • Builds soil quality and farmland through the recycling of organic waste; • Supports multiple forms of urban as well as rural food production; • Ensures that food processing facilities are available to farmers and processors of all scales;
8 de la Salle, Janine (2008). City of Edmonton Policy Set. Some sustainable food system characteristics drawn from: Pothukuchi, K. and Kaufman, J.L. (1999) Placing the Food System on the Urban Agenda. The Role of Municipal Institutions in Food Systems Planning.
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• Is celebrated through community events, markets, restaurants etc; • Preserves biodiversity in agro-ecosystems as well as in the crop selection; • Has a strong educational focus to create awareness of food and agricultural issues; and • Is socially just and fairly traded by providing a fair wage to producers and processors locally and abroad. Food Assets 9 Food assets are places, programs, policies, businesses, and organizations that play a role in the food system. Local governments and communities have access to and influence with many food assets. Generally, food assets can be understood in eight major categories- Table 1 presents these categories and provides examples of food assets. Table 1: Food Assets and Examples
Food Asset Examples • Farmland, ranchland, grasslands 1) Food production, • Rivers, lakes, and streams hunting, fishing, • Harvesting wild foods (e.g. berries, mushrooms, and foraging medicines) areas • Packing houses 2) Community and • Community and commercial kitchens commercial • Cold storage processing • Commercial and commissary kitchens facilities • Harvest festivals 3) Community food • Food trucks and mobile food markets culture • Plazas and open spaces for food celebration • Agritourism • Grocery stores, drug stores 4) (Healthy) food • Farm stands, farmers’ markets sources • Restaurants, caterers, pubs, and cafes • Food hubs • Community gardens, back/front yard gardens, edible landscaping • Charitable food organizations 5) Emergency food • Meal and hamper programs relief • School breakfast and lunch programs • School and community cooking classes/courses 6) Learning • Business startup incubators environments • Community gardens • Cold storage 7) Food recovery • Collection and distribution networks systems • Processing facilities
9 There is no common definition of “food asset”. The consultant has developed this definition based on the understanding of how it is being used in other jurisdictions and planning processes.
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Table 1: Food Assets and Examples
Food Asset Examples • Affordable housing 8) Macro supports • Employment and business opportunities for food security • Social connectedness • Walkable communities • Leadership and management Roles in food security There are many distinct and overlapping roles in planning for food and agriculture systems. This complex web is somewhat simplified by focusing food and agriculture plans at one level of jurisdiction. Often times, food and agriculture system planning occurs at the local government level, including regional and municipal governments. However, there are many other roles that can become an important part in plan creation and implementation. These roles are briefly described below. Federal and Provincial Levels of Government The federal government has jurisdiction over trade agreements, health inspection and food regulation, among other things. The activities of Agrifood Canada: range from the farmer to the consumer, from the farm to global markets, through all phases of producing, processing and marketing of farm, food and bio-based products. The Provincial Government in BC and the Ministry of Agriculture also have jurisdiction on regulating farming and has passed legislation that regulates land use in the Agricultural Land Reserve and are involved with economic development initiatives. Health Authorities There are six Health Authorities in BC. Rossland is in the Interior Health Region. Increasingly, community nutritionists and Medical Health Officers are engaging in community planning exercises like creating Official Community Plans. This in turn, can provide an important link between Health and food and agriculture system planning. Community Sector, Schools, and Post-Secondary Institutions Volunteers and staff in the community and non-profit sector are critical partners in developing and implementing food system plans. Schools and post-secondary institutions can also be part of providing food system education in the classroom and program development. Industry Associations and Business Sector There are many industry associations and business sector interest groups that are also a key part of creating and implementing food system plans. The BC Cattleman’s Association, the Small-Scale Processors Association, Business Improvement Associations, Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development agencies are all examples of resources and stakeholders in food and agriculture system planning. Local Government Often local governments will be the primary facilitator for and lead on food and agriculture system planning processes. While local governments have many ways to increase community food security and interact with many dimensions of the food system, they are limited in their ability to directly address some of the core drivers of household food insecurity such as poverty and low- income status of
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residents. However, there are areas where local governments do have influence in some of these areas of food insecurity. For example, affordable housing and local economic development, often priorities for local government as implemented through regulation, incentives, and land use planning, can positively impact household income and, indirectly, food security. Other specific ways that local government can intervene and engage with food security and work to increase food assets and access to them include, but are not limited to are summarized in Table 2. Table 2: Food Assets and Local Government Leverage Points
Food Asset Local Government Leverage
Food production, • Agriculture in the ALR hunting, fishing, o Agriculture planning and policy (OCPs, ZBLs) foraging o Managing/ regulating increasingly complex issues on farmland • Urban Agriculture and Farming o Ensure urban agriculture is allowed and supported in public and private lands (OCPs, ZBLs) o Managing potential conflicts (e.g. wildlife) o Encouraging / requiring food assets including urban agriculture in development projects (tax breaks, requirements, design guidelines). o Providing education and resources o Collaborating with community partners • Indigenous Food Systems (water, land, air) o Establishing teaching, learning, and stewardship centres/programs o Responding positively to land management needs.
(Healthy) food • Planning and policy to support walkable (800m) access to heathy food assets sources (e.g. grocery store, farm stand, community garden, farmers market) • Supporting food hub testing and development • Support Farmer’s markets • Zoning for food districts, light industrial for agriculture sector (Locate outside of the ALR) • Zoning for food retail especially healthy options • Adopting food truck policies and creating permits • Purchasing relationships with local producers and caterers • Transportation planning
Learning • Provide information on new food-security related initiatives. environments • Be open to requests/applications for new facilities to support educational programs
Community food • Providing space and programming for food celebrations culture • Collaborating with community partners to deepen food culture • Providing signage, communications, and marketing of food assets, where appropriate • Designing public spaces to support a lively streetscape (e.g. patios, spill-out onto the sidewalk, street trees, plazas)
Social • Working with food banks to find appropriate facilities connectedness • Preparing for emergencies (education, planning, preparation)
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Table 2: Food Assets and Local Government Leverage Points
Food Asset Local Government Leverage and emergency food relief
Food Recovery • Working with food gleaning programs to find facilities Systems • Working with businesses to find processing facilities • Business license rules • Partnership programs • Developing internal programs to reduce food waste within local government operations • Regional organic diversion policies and programs
Research, • Conducting baseline food assessments (e.g. food security, local food knowledge economy assessments, food hub feasibility) creation, and • Conducting best practice research from other jurisdictions policy • Developing food and agriculture strategies and plans
Macro supports • Local governance and management systems (e.g. Food Policy Councils) (food insecurity) • Protecting and restoring the environment (e.g. Link to indigenous food systems, OCP policies and requirements) • Implementing affordable housing strategies • Attracting livable wage job opportunities
2) Food Security Planning Context in Rossland Food Assets in Rossland There are many food assets in Rossland including but not limited to: • Independent supermarket that carries local products • Community Gardens • Food education events e.g. the Chicken Crawl and community apple picking and juicing days • Backyard gardens, hens, and bees • General local food positive attitude • Rossland Real Food facebook page • Seed and plant swaps • Local farms and farmers • Rossland Food Bank • Youth Action Network, food literacy and food preparation programs • Farmers markets (not currently operating) • Existing OCP policy to build on • Rossland Sustainability Commission’s Food Security Task Force • A strong local government policy foundation in sustainability and climate change
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Rossland Community Health Profile10 Income and housing affordability are directly linked to a person’s ability to procure healthy food and be food secure. Relative to many communities, Rossland has a high-degree of food security. This is based on the census data that indicates Rossland residents have significantly higher income than the provincial average (11.3% more) and a significantly lower proportion of home owners who spend more than 30% of income on housing (48.3% less than provincial average). As household income is directly related to food security and the ability to buy and/or access food, it is likely that fewer than average people experience any level of food insecurity in Rossland. However, food security can be invisible and include groups like seniors who are house rich but income poor. Also, many people who work in Rossland and at the ski hill many be food insecure but don’t live in Rossland due to higher rents and property taxes. In this way, food security issues may be externalized to other communities such as Trail and those impacted not considered due to jurisdictional boundaries. Food Security Policy Review Food and agriculture policy are established in Rossland. This provides a good foundation to explore further opportunities for community food security in the OCP update. The summary below provides a description and review of each existing food security policy. Rossland Food Charter In 2017, City Council adopted the Rossland Food Charter. The Food Charter provides a shared vision, values and high-level strategies for the City of Rossland to consider in decision making. This provides a solid framework for including goals, objectives and policies in the OCP update. Key players should be engaged on if the Food Charter requires any updates as part of next steps. Food security in the current OCP Food and agriculture are included in the current OCP in the following sections: • As part of housing and affordability (sections 18, 16, and 25), • Food and beverage uses as a supported use in the downtown core (Schedule B), • Objective 26.1.2: To support a wide range of agricultural practices within Rossland and preserve land to build local food production capacity • Policy 26.2.8 Consider conducting a study to identify viable agricultural
10 http://communityhealth.phsa.ca/HealthProfiles/HealthReportComparisonToBC/Rossland
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lands, possibly on a regional basis to Support local agriculture and food production through preservation of agriculturally viable lands. • Policy 26.2.10 Urban agriculture is encouraged as a method to assist in providing daily food items considering other community goals such as Bear Smart initiatives • Policy 14.6.4 Develop approaches which harmonize bear aware approaches with competing community interests such as the establishment of local agriculture Integrating the vision, values, and strategies from the Rossland Food Charter into the OCP update is an important point of continuity.
Food and Agriculture in the Zoning Bylaw 251811
USE Definition AGRICULTURAL USE means a use providing for the growing, rearing, cultivating, producing, harvesting, and processing of agricultural products, including horses, cattle, other livestock, swine, furbearing animals, poultry, pigeons, doves, bees, rabbits and other animals and birds. AGRICULTURAL means Accessory or Temporary Buildings and Structures for retailing agricultural STANDS products. RESIDENTIAL means hens that are permitted under Section 4.1.2(i) of this bylaw, except wherein CHICKEN authorized by agriculture use, and does not include roosters. COMMERCIAL Incudes “[…], restaurants, and retail stores associated with small scale food and DOWNTOWN USE beverage processing CRAFT BREWERY means a building used for production of alcoholic beverages for retail and wholesale sales, with a maximum gross floor area of 1,000m2. The facility may include retail sales, tours and tastings and food consumption. No more than two tractor-trailer type vehicles shall be allowed for pick-up or delivery to the facility within any 24 hour period. FARMERS MARKET means a market whose vendors either make, bake or grow the products they produce, where farmers and/or their families display and sell locally grown or processed foods with only a limited number of non-food crafts and no imported products. FOOD PROCESSING means a commercial establishment in which food is processed or otherwise ESTABLISHMENT prepared for human consumption but not consumed on the premises. GARDEN SUPPLY means a Building, Structure and land used for growing, display and retail sale of plants and seeds together with gardening tools and equipment, gardening chemicals, landscaping materials, and related uses. OPEN SPACE means the open, unobstructed space on a Parcel, including the open unobstructed space accessible to all occupants of any residential or commercial Building or Structure on the Parcel including the required set back areas, which is intended for passive or active recreational purposes and provides for greenery, the growth and maintenance of grass, flowers, bushes, gardens, community gardens and other
11 https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/5307
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landscaping and may include, permeable-surfaced pedestrian walks, Patios, pools or similar areas, but does not include any storage, driveway, ramp or parking areas.
RESTAURANT means a Building where prepared food is offered for sale to the public and includes cafes, coffee shops, cafeterias, RETAIL STORE means a Building or Commercial Unit where goods, merchandise, substances, articles or things are offered or kept for sale at retail, including storage of limited quantities of such goods, merchandise, substances articles or things, sufficient only to service such store. Typical uses include but are not limited to bakery shops, book shops, camera shops, clothing stores, drug stores, fish markets, florist shop, grocery stores, hardware, home furnishing stores, jewellery store, meat markets, optical shop, pet store, second-hand stores, stationery stores, super markets, toy stores and variety stores. SMALL SCALE includes, but is not limited to, a bakery, a butcher shop, a wine or beer making FOOD AND enterprise but does not include a craft brewery. BEVERAGE PROCESSING ESTABLISHMENT
Residential Chicken bylaw 2733, 202012 Residential chickens’ are allowed in residential zones. Some community feedback on the bylaw, suggest the bylaw could go further to include electric fencing requirements to deter bears as well as clear design guidelines that require solid coop construction feed and manure management etc. Other feedback suggests that if properly managed, chicken coops should not attract bears and the by law should not be overly prescriptive. This topic will be important to clarify with key City staff and community members in order to identify if any additions to the bylaw should be considered by City Council. Education and engagement is a key strategy for ensuring residential chickens continue to be a positive food asset in Rossland. Bees Bees are allowed as an agricultural use in rural zones ALR in Rossland There is very little ALR in Rossland although surrounding communities in the region include farms and ALR lands. 3) Food Security Issues and Opportunities Some are mentioned in the policy/plans/study docs. Others are noted in the Workbook Summary. Please also add any supplemental technical items.
12 https://rossland.civicweb.net/filepro/document/8184/2733-Zoning%20Amendment%202020- %20Animal%20Processing%20and%20Backyard%20Chickens.pdf
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Issue Opportunity Water restrictions can limit success of backyard Further explore water saving strategies for food gardens and pollinator gardens. Consider prioritizing watering food gardens above lawns and cosmetic landscapes. Price of land as a barrier to new agriculture Partner with land matching organizations and entrants local farm groups such as the Kootenay Farm Advisors and Young Agrarians Small amount of ALR in Rossland with aging Protect existing ALR and consider if there are any farmers opportunities to include land into the ALR. Farmers market organization needs to be re Work with local organizations to identify supports energized needed e.g. storage space for market signs and equipment, access to public washrooms, signage,
drinking fountains, benches and shade, performance areas etc. Also assess if the City could include Farmers Markets in their insurance package as to overcome the challenge of limiting resellers with the BCAFM requirements for insurance. Gaps in natural environment and resource lands Food access policy Happy Valley food production listed as a current gap in land management policy (But why? Review development restrictions on Happy Valley lots Gap in land management policy There are no restrictions on pesticide use that is Consider a cosmetic pesticide use ban on known to have negative ecological impacts residential, commercial, and institutional properties. Compliment with education and out- reach on pest and weed management alternatives. Current lack of collaboration between Consider participating in existing and/or communities establishing an inter-community food security group. Current OCP and ZBL could be strengthened by Review all food and agriculture related integrating the food charter as well as other ideas definitions in the by law and consider a) are there that come out of further engagement any missing b) should they be included in any other zones. Consider expanding areas where bees, farm stands, and greenhouses are allowed potentially creating a new permitted use, “urban gardening” that would be allowed in all residential and institutional zones. Also consider if new small scale processing areas are needed. Food security is not a visible priority for most Establish a food security innovation such as residents exploring a community greenhouse. Also consider
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Issue Opportunity developing a food security strategy that engages residents in the need for proactive planning for community food security. Consider compiling and presenting information that indicates the need for food system planning (e.g. California aquifers drying up, carbon cost of transportation, climate change, border closures, global supply chain disruption etc.. The Residential Chicken bylaw could go further to Determine level of need to update this relatively include design standards to ensure quality coop new bylaw. Consider a more education and construction as well as further consideration outreach based approach (e.g. working with regarding electric fencing. community organizations to host a workshop series on backyard hens and bees) Bees are not technically a permitted use in Expand permitted use in residential zones to residential zones include bee keeping. Consider education and outreach as well as establishing design standards and requirements.
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4) Proposed Approach / Next Steps Initial research shows that the vast majority of residents in Rossland are food secure at the household level. This is likely associated with a relatively high level of income in the community. There may be pockets of food insecurity within lower income groups in Rossland, but this is estimated to be fairly low. However, like all communities, Rossland is vulnerable to community food insecurity, and therefore, we recommend that the overall approach for the OCP should examine what the City can do to proactively plan for community food security into the future. Additionally, the overall approach should use the existing food charter as the basis for developing vision, goals, and policies for the OCP as well as a more action-oriented plan for food security. Considerations for the approach and next steps to integrating food security into the OCP include: • Use and update if needed, the existing food charter to develop a more action-oriented plan for community food security in Rossland. This may be needed as a separate process and be recommended as a next step in the OCP. • Consider how Rossland can proactively plan for community food security • Engage the food security sustainability committee, food bank, and other key organizations in the process. • Generally, grow inventory of food assets in Rossland • Further explore the value and opportunities for the food and agriculture economy • Validate and revise issue and opportunity analysis with the advisory committee, key players and the public through OCP engagement activities. • Engage staff, elected officials, and key players on if there are any updates to the Rossland Food Charter that are required. • Integrate food security with affordable housing, job creation, economic development, social planning and climate adaptation policies. • Identify specific actions to link priority areas to food security. The following priority areas were identified by the OCP advisory committee. Although food security was not identified in this list, there are tangible and meaningful linkages between community and household food security and these priorities. The table below summarizes these linkages.
Priority Area Link to food security 1. Cost of Living and Taxation Income is the top indicator of food security. Increasing affordability of housing, goods and services will help to increase food security for everyone who lives and or works in Rossland. 2. Managing Growth of Our City Any notion of establishing a green belt could include agriculture as part of the plan. Concentrating new development in existing areas reduces development pressure and speculation on rural and agricultural land. 3. Housing (affordability / cost of Affordable housing is a key strategy for reducing living) household food insecurity and enables people to be able to use more income towards food and medicine.
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4. Infrastructure (water, Considering water demand for agriculture as well as wastewater and stormwater) backyard gardening will factor in when prioritizing use in low water seasons. 5. Recreation Facilities Community centres and other public facilities can provide important food assets such as health certified kitchens and coolers as well as food programs and safe places for youth to hang out.
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