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. 1 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 2 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 3 SECTION 1 Introduction 4 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,