REGIONAL DISTRCT OF NORTH

ELECTORAL AREAS ‘B’ AND ‘C’ OFFICIAL COMMUNTIY PLAN

BACKGROUND REPORT

DRAFT JULY 01, 2001

Regional District of North Okanagan 9848 Aberdeen Road Coldstream BC V1B 2k9 PREFACE

This document contains the first draft of the Background Report for a new Official Community Plan for Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ of the Regional District of North Okanagan. After review of this draft document, some policies will be prepared for consideration that will form the basis of this new Plan.

AMP/EAB&C/OCP/BKGND.RPT

- ii- TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE – BACKGROUND REPORT

A. Forward 1 B. Introduction 1 C. Population Overview 3 D. Economic Profile 3 E. Geographic Overview 3 F. Planning Issues 5 1.0 Electoral Areas as a Part of Greater Vernon 5 2.0 Environmental Issues and Resource Management 6 2.1 Natural Areas 6 2.2 Okanagan Shuswap LRMP 7 2.3 Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area 7 3.0 Development Standards 7 3.1 Rural / Agricultural Lands 8 3.2 Residential Lands 8 4.0 Agricultural Land Reserve 9 5.0 Recreational Trail Network 9 6.0 Cosens Bay Planning 9

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure #1 – Community Plan Area 2 Figure #2 – Historical Population and Projections 4 Figure 3# - Population by Industry Sector 4

- iii - PART TWO – OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN

(To Be Prepared)

- iv - ELECTORAL AREAS ‘B’ AND ‘C’ OFFICIAL COMMUNTIY PLAN BACKGROUND REPORT

A. FORWARD

The “Electoral Areas ‘B’ & ‘C’ Official Community Plan” is intended to provide direction for the Regional District, private citizens and Provincial agencies on matters concerning the future development of the rural and agricultural areas around greater Vernon. It is a document that looks to the future but also contains procedures and policies for day-to-day administration. Generally, the Community Plan is implemented through the zoning bylaw, subdivision bylaw, building bylaw and other regulatory bylaws and permits. These bylaws and permits serve as an administrative means for implementing the objectives and policies of the Official Community Plan.

The Local Government Act of the Province of outlines the subject matter for a Community Plan as well as adoption procedures. The Official Community Plan is primarily a statement of local government objectives and policies; however, Provincial agencies are also involved in the preparation of the Plan particularly where Provincial interests can be implemented through local actions and policies.

B. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this background report (Part I) is to briefly describe the plan area and identify key planning issues in Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ in order to properly address these issues in the Official Community Plan portion of this document (Part II).

The areas included in Electoral Areas ‘B’ and 'C’ are shown in Figure #1. Electoral Area ‘B’ encompasses the following areas: • the ‘Commonage’ lands south of the City of Vernon • private lands along the east shore of (Cosens Bay area) • lands west of Swan Lake north of the City of Vernon • lands east of Swan Lake to L&A Road including McDonald Road area

Electoral Area ‘C’ encompasses the following areas: • north BX east of L&A Road including McLennan Road area • south BX to Highway #6 north of the District of Coldstream • BX Villa south of Highway #6 • Dixon Dam – Hartnell Road area • Tillicum – Kedleston areas along Silver Star Road

Silver Star Provincial Park and Silver Star Mountain resort recreation area are not included in the “Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Official Community Plan” area.

Some of the lands within the Community Plan area do not fall under the jurisdiction of the North Okanagan Regional District but are instead the responsibility of the Province. This is particularly true of the Commonage where there are tracts of Provincial crown land. Generally, the plan area follows the outer boundary of private lands where they abut Provincial crown land or land of the Okanagan Indian Band. It is noted that the Official Community Plan will address some issues resulting from matters outside the plan area when there are implications for Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’. ______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan Page 2

Figure #1 – Location Map

______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan Page 3

C. POPULATION OVERVIEW

The population of Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ was listed as approximately 8911 in the 1996 census and is expected to rise to approximately 9470 upon the 2001 census. Some of these residents live in other areas of Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ such as the westside of and Silver Star Village which are not part of the community plan area. The population over the last 25 years is shown in Figure #2 indicating a growth rate of approximately 1.2% prior to the annexation of Electoral Area ‘A’ (Okanagan Landing) into the City of Vernon. Local housing starts information suggests a population increase of approximately 1.3% from 1996 to 2001 for areas ‘B’ and ‘C’.

The current population composition is primarily youth, children and middle aged adults as compared to the Provincial averages. This is consistent with a strong family oriented community base, and this demographic will be reflected in the development of the Community Plan.

D. ECONOMIC PROFILE

The most prominent industries for Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ are manufacturing and retail trades, with a high number of jobs also stemming from the construction and agricultural industries (Figure #3). These industries have increased local importance as compared to the provincial average; this could be due to the accessibility of the and the prominence of tourism in the Greater Vernon area.

The presence of the agriculture industry is also strongly felt. In all of Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ there are almost 6500 hectares of land within the Agriculture Land Reserve (some of which is located on the westside of Okanagan Lake outside the Community Plan area). Recognizing the multiplier effect of primary industry on other businesses, this industry’s role becomes quite large.

There is also significant input from pension and/or investment income in the Greater Vernon area. This input likely stems from the attraction of the community for retirees.

The Regional District of North Okanagan does not issue business licenses, therefore we can not accurately report on the number and types of businesses in the plan area. The most significant business community is the Swan Lake Business Area which is located between Highway #97 and Pleasant Valley Road east of Swan Lake.

E. GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW

The combined area of Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ is approximately 15,000 ha of private land. Electoral Area ‘B’ encompasses 9587 ha (including the westside of Okanagan Lake) and Electoral Area ‘C’ has 5162 ha (including Silver Star Village).

The Greater Vernon land base contains unique climate and soil conditions that support numerous agricultural areas. A significant portion of the land within the Community Plan area is designated as part of the Agricultural Land Reserve insuring its long-term use for food and crop production. This land is currently producing a variety of fruit trees, vegetables and forage crops. The land in the Agricultural Land Reserve in Electoral Area ‘B’ is 4946 ha (12,221 acres) on 426 properties or 52% of the land base and in Area ‘C’ it is 1554 ha (3,840 acres) on 547 properties or 30% of the land base.

______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan Page 4 Figures

6000 5000 4000 3000

2000 Electoral Area B Population 1000 Eelct or al A r ea C 0 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001* Year

Figure #2 Historical Population Projections

35 30 25 B & C 20 B.C. 15 10

Percentage 5 0

G E Y E E ON C R D C IN TI VI T AGE AGE VICE VI VI R R R U ES OR ER T SER AC OR ST F STRUC F ER SERVICE & & H ESS SER SALE TRADE RETAIL TRADEON OCIAL SERVICEG D & BEVE N ANU C ELATED S N OT SI OLE OTHER S M R OO ATION UCATION SE & F T D BU WH & ., E E LOGGI SPOR HEALTH N ULTUR ACCOM IC TRA Industry Sector AGR

Figure #3 Population by Industry

______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan Page 5

The uniquely adapted agriculture area of the North Okanagan is part of the Dry Interior Forest Region. The mean annual precipitation in the area is 250mm (9.8”); 40% of which falls during the growing season. The mean annual snowfall is 109 cm (. Temperatures for the North Okanagan average 24°C in the summer months and –2°C in the winter. There is an estimated 152 frost-free days.

The vegetation in the region is quite unique as the lower elevations are primarily made up of Ponderosa Pine and Bunchgrass biogeoclimatic zones. These zones are characterized by highly organic soils called Chernozems supporting widely dispersed ponderosa pine stands and big basin sagebrush, prickly-pear cactus and bluebunch wheatgrass plants, vegetation that is generally considered as a trademark of the Okanagan. The higher reaches of the valley are recognized by Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine forests in the Interior Douglas-fir zone, where the understory is comprised of shrubs such as kinnikinnick and yarrow on the drier sites and falsebox and twinflower on the moister sites.

The region is also a rich source of wildlife due to its diverse landscape and ecosystem structure. This aspect of the local wilderness can sometimes cause conflicts. The increasing popularity of this region for relocation has required settlement expansion and development. This pressure has unfortunately contributed to the degradation and often the loss of habitat for some of our native flora and fauna as well as increasing the susceptibility of the land to invasive species. The Vernon Forest District currently contains 97 different Taxa listed with the BC Conservation Data Centre as rare, endangered, or threatened and 29 rare plant associations, 19 of which are found in either the Ponderosa Pine-Bunchgrass zone or the Interior Douglas- fir zone. This data suggests that the local environment in the North Okanagan is in a fragile state and should be carefully considered in the planning and decision-making process to ensure its beauty and biodiversity is maintained.

F. PLANNING ISSUES

The intent of the Community Plan is to address an array of different issues and long-term planning for Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ through topics brought forward to the Regional Board for consideration. There are some significant planning issues that are reviewed in this section; others are outlined in the Official Community Plan.

1.0 Electoral Areas as a Part of Greater Vernon

It is important in preparing a plan for Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ to recognize the contribution of these areas to the greater sense of place for the City of Vernon and the District of Coldstream. The rural characteristics of the Commonage, the BX and Swan Lake provide a subtle contrast to the urban attributes of Vernon and Coldstream in its picturesque valley location amidst Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake and Swan Lake. In addition, some of these rural areas are within the Agricultural Land Reserve and form the corner-stone of the agricultural industry. The areas along municipal boundaries should not necessarily be viewed as land in holding for urban expansion, but as an essential feature of this beautiful community. These areas serve as a soft boundary between the urban city, the rural countryside and the natural areas beyond, and their aesthetic value should be maximized wherever possible.

Notwithstanding the importance of rural and agricultural land within the greater Vernon area, there is a recognized need for land for the City of Vernon to expand. Recent studies have confirmed that with the inclusion of Okanagan Landing, the O’Keefe Lands and Predator Ridge into the City of Vernon, that there is not an urgent need for the City to expand. Never-the-less, long-term planning is needed and desirable. The City of Vernon has expressly requested that a long-term ‘Ultimate City Boundary’ be identified in the Community Plan.

______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan Page 6

For the rural Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’, ‘Urban Containment Boundaries’ may be an appropriate way to plan for the short term, while identifying an ‘Ultimate City Boundary’ for long term goals. Urban containment boundaries are short-term boundaries that allow for the staging of new growth and the identification of new lands for industrial and commercial uses.

The boundary lines for the City of Vernon are not geographically or serviced based – this is particularly true along the eastern boundary. Currently, urban yards back onto agricultural fields and roads dead-end onto rural properties. Through the implementation of ‘Urban Containment Boundaries’ policies could be developed to reflect when and how long-term urban growth areas are identified beyond the short-term. Policies should look to include guidelines for the annexation of lands into the City of Vernon. It would also be beneficial to consider staging new urban boundaries to the ‘Ultimate City Boundary’ I order to guide research and policy formulation for the extension of new community services beyond the ‘Urban Containment Boundaries’. It is noted that any consideration of urban expansion into Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ will have to consider that a significant portion of the lands bordering the City of Vernon are within the Agricultural Land Reserve.

The Swan Lake Business District has long been identified as a future commercial area for the City of Vernon. The current Official Community Plan has very restrictive policies on future development because of the need for community services prior to any zoning changes. Basically, this policy holds new development in abeyance pending annexation by the City of Vernon and the delivery of services. The continuation of this policy should be reviewed and a new policy supporting new development ideas that address the issues facing the Swan Lake Business District be considered.

Several real estate agents and community leaders have voiced concern that there is insufficient industrial land in greater Vernon. New initiatives in other North Okanagan municipalities will address some of this demand but new industrial lands around greater Vernon should also be identified. Consideration should be given to the area around the regional landfill in the northern Commonage.

2.0 Environmental Issues and Resources Management

2.1 Natural Areas

The greater Vernon area contains many natural areas that should be given special consideration for their ecological and aesthetic value. For example, the grasslands of the Commonage and the wetlands and riparian areas around Swan Lake are special natural areas. These areas provide essential habitat for local wildlife and specialized plant species, and contribute to the identity of the area as a rural setting, rich in natural resources. When new development or land use conflicts arise in these areas, increased attention to the ecological aspects of the issue should be considered.

There are three approaches in considering natural areas. Firstly, policies could be developed that would effectively stop land development; for example, a natural area could be purchased for park purposes or a conservation covenant could be established over the natural area. Secondly, policies could be developed to set conditions for the protection of the natural environment that would be applied upon application for new development. For example, a Development Permit Area could be identified around a natural feature such as currently exists around Kalamalka Lake and Swan Lake. Thirdly, the natural feature could simply be identified in the Community Plan where due consideration will be given where a rezoning or subdivision application is received. The problem has always been to identify the natural features in the plan area that should be recognized in any of these three categories.

______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan Page 7

The Province recently enacted the “Stream Protection Regulations” under the Fisheries Act. All jurisdictions in the North Okanagan are now under order to develop stream protection measures for fisheries protection. BC Environment is currently developing guidelines for local government to consider and it is likely that the best mechanism for policy development for the Regional District will be the Official Community Plan.

2.2 Okanagan Shuswap Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP)

The LRMP established guidelines for government agencies and private industries utilizing Crown land and resources. It also has implications for private landowners particularly along the interface between private and Crown lands.

The LRMP area is divided into different land management zones and guidelines were developed for each type of zone. Some lands such as ‘Protected Areas’, were singled out for specific resource management objectives. Swan Lake was the one feature within the Official Community Plan area that the LRMP provided specific direction on. In addition, the LRMP raises interface issues such as fencing of rangelands, wildfire resources, water resources management and recreational activities. Other specific objectives for the North Okanagan such as the extension of Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park south beyond Cosens Bay and the view corridor from Allan Brooks Nature Centre are beyond the boundaries of the Official Community Plan.

2.3 Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area

BC Environment has been considering the feasibility of establishing Swan Lake as a ‘Wildlife Management Area’. A Swan Lake wildlife reserve was first proposed in 1922 to protect important wetland habitats that were recognized as regionally significant waterfowl staging and breeding areas. Over 200 different bird species have been identified as using Swan Lake at various times of the year. Planning commenced on a management plan in the early 1990’s and some consultation with property owners around Swan Lake has been done but there has been no substantive advancement on this initiative in recent years. The LRMP recommended that Swan Lake be identified as a Wildlife Management Area and that a new planning process be undertaken where the old planning process left off.

3.0 Development Standards

One of the most significant and controversial issues for the Official Community Plan is to adopt development standards for the plan area. The Regional District distinguishes between ‘residential’ and ‘rural’ standards were the former are the small lot subdivisions typical of urban communities. The policies of the existing Official Community Plan are to significantly reduce the potential development of residential lots because of the inherent problems of urban sprawl. Instead, the plan recognizes that Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ are essentially rural and agricultural areas of greater Vernon and residential developments should be focused towards Vernon and Coldstream. 3.1 Rural / Agricultural Lands

The existing Official Community Plan does not distinguish between rural lands and agricultural lands in the establishment of development standards. The Regional District currently has four property size standards for rural and agricultural areas as follows: • Small Holdings (1.0 ha = 2.5 ac) • Country Residential (2.0 ha = 4.9 ac) • Non-Urban (7.2 ha = 17.8 ac) • Large Holding (30.5 ha = 75.4 ac)

______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan Page 8

The general attitude for Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ is that the minimum standard should be ‘Country Residential’ although some limited areas of ‘Small Holdings’ have been identified. New policies should be developed to guide the establishment of new areas utilizing the ‘Small Holding’ standard.

The Land Reserve Commission must approve any development within the Agricultural Land Reserve. Any proposed development must be evaluated on its own merits. Therefore, the new Official Community Plan should devise a unique set of development standards for lands within the Agricultural Land Reserve.

3.2 Residential Lands

As previously noted the intent of the existing Official Community Plan is to significantly reduce the potential development of residential (urban) lots. Lots that are currently zoned ‘Residential’ can be subdivided to the existing standards which vary depending of the level of services but generally the standards are as follows: • With Community Water and Sewer Services: Single Family Dwelling 0.056 ha = 0.14 ac = 6,028 ft² Duplex Dwelling 0.070 ha = 0.17 ac = 7,535 ft² • With Community Water and On-Site Septic Systems: Single Family Dwelling 0.11 ha = 0.27 ac = 11,840 ft² Duplex Dwelling 0.17 ha = 0.42 ac = 18,300 ft² • With On-site Wells and Septic Systems (no community services): All lots 0.4 ha = 0.99 ac

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has recently suggested that where on-site septic systems are used, the minimum standard for any development should be 1.0 ha. The Ministry is concerned that higher densities of development that use on-site systems could cause local long-term soil and drainage problems over the neighbourhood. They have also indicated that if a local government approves these higher density developments and problems do emerge, that financial assistance from the Province could be withheld. The Okanagan Basin Water Board, which also assists with financial resources for new community sewer systems, has endorsed this proposed policy of the Ministry.

The Regional District is considering changing our ‘Residential’ development standard as suggested by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. However, there are some outstanding policy implications that have not been addressed by the Ministry such as how site specific engineering evaluation could impact this standard and the implications for ‘Homesite Severance’ lots in the Agricultural Land Reserve where these lots are generally kept as small as possible to not impact farming operations.

4.0 Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR)

The Agricultural Land Reserve in Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ has not been systematically reviewed since its inception almost thirty years ago. It is well known that some lands should not be in the reserve such as the lower slopes of Vernon Hill in the Pottery Road area. Some consideration should be given to a planning program to review the ALR and the Official Community Plan can provide guidance for such a review.

5.0 Recreational Trail Network

Increasing the accessibility of Crown land for recreational activities is an important aspect to be considered and the policies in an Official Community Plan can directly affect this objective. The barrier of private property on the local hillsides requires trespassing or convoluted routes to be taken in attempts to access these public areas. Through conscientious work with local landowners specific trail segments should be identified in the Official Community Plan for future acquisition.

______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan Page 9

6.0 Cosens Bay Planning

The Regional Board has previously resolved to undertake a neighbourhood plan for Cosens Bay. It was later resolved to include this plan in the new Official Community Plan for Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’.

There are multifaceted problems and public issues surrounding this isolated community on the East Side of Kalamalka Lake, south of the Municipality of Coldstream and Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park. Some major planning issues are: • Jurisdictional complexity (Crown land, Provincial park and Kalamalka Lake management) • Road access and maintenance responsibility issues. • Environmental Protection for the surrounding grasslands. • Water quality concerns for Kalamalka Lake. • Future growth and the requirement for access to sewer, water and hydro facilities. • Permitted land uses (primarily seasonal cabins at present)

______Electoral Areas ‘B’ and ‘C’ Background Report Official Community Plan