Bamfield Official Community Plan Alberni‐Clayoquot Regional District Table of Contents PART I – BACKGROUND ................................................................................................. 5 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 5 1.1 Plan Preparation ............................................................................................................................ 5 Map No. 1 Plan Area ............................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Purpose of the Official Community Plan .................................................................................. 7 1.3 Legislative Authority ..................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Jurisdiction ..................................................................................................................................... 9 1.5 The Plan ....................................................................................................................................... 10 1.7 Definitions ................................................................................................................................... 13 PART II – VISION & GENERAL GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES .................................. 16 2.0 VISION .......................................................................................................... 16 3.0 GENERAL GOALS, OBJECTIVES, & POLICIES ..................................................... 17 3.1 The Goals ..................................................................................................................................... 17 3.2 General Planning Objectives ..................................................................................................... 18 3.3 General Planning Policies .......................................................................................................... 19 4.0 PLANNING & LAND USE DESIGNATIONS ......................................................... 22 5.0 SUSTAINABILITY ............................................................................................ 23 5.1 Sustainability Objectives................................................................................................................... 23 5.2 Sustainability Policies ........................................................................................................................ 24 5.3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Actions .................................................................... 25 6.0 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................... 26 6.1 Natural Environment Objectives ............................................................................................. 26 6.2 Natural Environment Policies ................................................................................................... 28 6.3 Eelgrass Protection Objectives ................................................................................................. 31 6.4 Eelgrass Protection Policies ....................................................................................................... 31 7.0 INFRASTRUCTURE .......................................................................................... 33 7.1 Infrastructure Objectives ........................................................................................................... 33 7.2 Infrastructure Policies ................................................................................................................ 34 8.0 HERITAGE AND CULTURE ............................................................................... 36 8.1 Heritage and Culture Objectives ............................................................................................... 36 8.2 Heritage and Culture Policies .................................................................................................... 36 9.0 FORESTRY ...................................................................................................... 38 ACRD Bamfield Official Community Plan Draft August 2012 NOT FOR CIRCULATION Page | 2 9.1 Forestry Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 38 9.2 Forestry Policies .......................................................................................................................... 39 10.0 INDUSTRIAL ................................................................................................ 40 10.1 Industrial Objectives ................................................................................................................... 40 10.2 Industrial Policies ........................................................................................................................ 40 11.0 COMMERCIAL ............................................................................................. 41 11.1 Commercial Objectives .............................................................................................................. 41 11.2 Commercial Policies ................................................................................................................... 41 12.0 AGRICULTURAL ........................................................................................... 43 12.1 Agricultural Objectives ............................................................................................................... 43 12.2 Agricultural Policies .................................................................................................................... 43 13.0 RESIDENTIAL .............................................................................................. 44 13.1 Residential Objectives ................................................................................................................ 44 13.2 Residential Policies ...................................................................................................................... 44 14.0 COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT ................................................................. 46 14.1 Comprehensive Development Objectives ............................................................................... 46 14.2 Comprehensive Development Policies .................................................................................... 46 15.0 INSTITUTIONAL .......................................................................................... 49 15.1 Institutional Objectives .............................................................................................................. 49 14.2 Institutional Policies ................................................................................................................... 49 16.0 PARKS, TRAILS & RECREATION .................................................................... 51 16.1 Parks, Trails, & Recreation Objectives .................................................................................... 51 16.2 Parks, Trails, & Recreation Policies .......................................................................................... 51 17.0 IMPLEMENTATION ...................................................................................... 54 17.1 Development Permit Areas ....................................................................................................... 55 17.2 DPA General Guidelines ........................................................................................................... 56 17.3 Development Permit Exemptions ............................................................................................ 57 17.4 DPA I – Riparian Areas Protection ......................................................................................... 59 17.5 DPA II – Natural Hazard Areas Protection ........................................................................... 62 17.6 DPA III – Form and Character ................................................................................................ 65 17.7 DPA IV – Coastal Protection ................................................................................................... 67 17.8 Development Approval Information ....................................................................................... 70 17.9 Amendment Procedures ............................................................................................................ 70 17.10 Plan Review.............................................................................................................................. 71 ACRD Bamfield Official Community Plan Draft August 2012 NOT FOR CIRCULATION Page | 3 LIST OF MAPS Map No. 1 Official Community Plan Area Map No. 2 Land Use Designations Map No. 3 Development Approval Information Areas and Development Permit Areas Map No. 4 Infrastructure, Sand and Gravel Resources, & Community Services ACRD Bamfield Official Community Plan Draft August 2012 NOT FOR CIRCULATION Page | 4 PART I – BACKGROUND 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Plan Preparation The Alberni‐Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) initiated a review of the Bamfield Official Community Plan in Fall 2011 to update Bylaw No. 1026, 2000. This review was facilitated by students from the Geography Program at Vancouver Island University (see list of participating students