Arne Petryshen
City council looked over five bylaws at the Oct. 19 council meeting. Four bylaws were given third reading and one was adopted.
The first bylaw dealt with the third reading of a proposed amendment of the Official Community Plan to change the land use designation of a property located at 9 Little Van Horne Street South from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential.
The owners of the subject property applied for an amendment to enable consideration to rezone the property from R-1, Single Family Extended Residential Zone to R-5, Medium Density Multiple Family Residential Zone to bring the existing four-plex building to conform with the zoning bylaw.
The second bylaw council looked at was focused on the same property and dealt with the third reading of a proposed amendment of the Zoning Bylaw to rezone property located at 9 Little Van Horne Street South from Single Family Extended Residential Zone: R-1 to Medium Density Multiple Family Residential Zone: R-5.
The third bylaw that council looked at was to consider third reading of a housekeeping amendment to the Cluster Development Zone: R-3 in the City’s Zoning Bylaw. The amendment will add a provision to allow for creation of two family dwelling parcels smaller than the required minimum parcel size for the R-3 Zone. The proposed bylaw amendment was reviewed by the Advisory Planning Commission on October 13, 2015, which recommended that council approve it. Staff noted they had become aware of some inconsistencies in the zoning and so proposed the amendment.
The fourth bylaw came about as a result of a joint application from Fisher Peak Camping and Trailer Rentals Ltd, and Runners RV to amend the C-2, Highway Commercial Zone to add “storage of recreation vehicles accessory to” the permitted recreational vehicle service, sales and rental business. Council also passed third reading on this bylaw.
The fifth bylaw was the adoption of the 2016 Permissive Tax Exemption. Council didn’t make any changes to 2015’s exemptions. In 2015, the total value of property taxes exempted was $207,446, while in 2016 it is projected to be $219,546. City staff noted the difference of $12,100 is made up of $7,258 in additions, $1,340 in eliminations, and $6,182 estimated increase in municipal tax rate for 2016 and changes in property values.