(My Kamloops News Column this week)
A
large rectangular white sign is erected nearby. A standard size
envelope is dropped in your home mailbox. Change is afoot in your
neighbourhood, likely even on your street. And your city council is
asking for your input.
The
above scenario is played out at least a couple of dozen times a year in
Kamloops. City hall receives an application from a property owner /
user asking for a change in what can be done with that property.
This
might be a family wanting to put a rental unit in their house to
supplement their income. This might be a development company wanting
proposing a townhouse complex in an open field. These situations are
examples of what is known as rezoning.
So
when a large white rezoning sign appears nearby or a certain standard
size envelope is dropped in your mailbox, this means that council is
asking for your input and inviting you to a public hearing scheduled to
decide on the rezoning.
People
often get concerned when they find out about a rezoning application
nearby. This is very understandable. Change is many times viewed with
suspicion. A home is not only usually the single biggest investment a
person makes, a home is home
- a place of sanctuary, of enjoyment, of private time, and of rest. On
the other side, the rezoning applicant is typically pursuing these
changes in pursuit of their dreams and aspirations.
Thus,
public hearings on contentious rezoning applications are difficult
meetings. Two opposing sides, both heartfelt and committed, feeling like
their fates hang in the balance. They know council will make a decision
at that same meeting and many arguments are made. Some arguments seem
very reasonable to me and some not so much.
All
hope is not lost though, by any means. Over the 4 years I have served
on council, I have noticed a few different elements that make a
contentious public hearing a more positive experience, at least for me
:) .
First,
it always impresses me when people have looked up the zoning of their
property and the zoning of the surrounding properties. Some people, when
they buy a property, don’t truly understand what could already happen
around them. If you visit city hall’s website, kamloops.ca, click on
‘online services’ on the top menu, then click “property information
search”, then click ‘map’, you can search for information about your
property and surrounding properties.
Alternatively, you could call the good folks at the Development and Engineering Services Dept at city hall, 250-828-3561.
The
Development Services folks can also be of help getting copies of
neighbourhood plans. You can also search at kamloops.ca for ‘community
planning’ and look through the links for plans on the right hand menu.
Second,
I find I respond better to arguments that have some supporting
evidence. For example, people sometimes believe having rental housing in
their neighbourhood lowers property values. My research tells me that
is not the case, but I’m certainly open to evidence that would change my
mind.
I
definitely feel for people who feel emotional and nervous during a
public hearing but I think the more reasonable and reasoned the input,
the more responsive I am personally. Emotion is still good but it’s hard
for me when it takes over.
Third,
and I mean no offence to anyone here, many times after a project is
approved, the project is not as bad as people fear and probably not as
good as others hoped. I guess this circles back to informed, reasoned,
reasonable input, informed by emotion but not dominated by it.
Feel free to be in touch - 250 574 3509.
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