Over 50 people took in the introductory meeting for the Toby Benches Official Community Plan (OCP) process Wednesday night (March 18).

“I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to participate in our first meeting,” said Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Planner Kris Belanger. “Having strong participation from the community is a critical part of this process, so it was fantastic to see so many people come out to share their values, concerns and vision for the Toby Benches.”

The introductory meeting provided participants with an overview of OCPs, the timeline for the planning process, and an opportunity to share their views. In addition to the meeting, the RDEK has been seeking the public’s comments through a survey, which closes on April 1.

“Over the next few weeks we will be compiling the information shared with us at the introductory meeting and through the survey. This information will be used to form draft policies on a variety of topics. These draft policies will then be brought back to the community at a visioning workshop where participants will once again be asked to roll up their sleeves and work to help identify the policies that will start to form the basis of the plan,” added Belanger.

The planning process is expected to take just over a year to complete.

An OCP is a long-term strategic planning document that reflects the community’s vision for the future while providing a policy framework to promote greater certainty in land use decision making by the regional district board.

More information about the Toby Benches Official Community Plan process can be found on the RDEK’s website at www.rdek.bc.ca.

Lead image: Toby Benches west of Invermere. Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

RDEK

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