The Lac la Hache Area official community plan (OCP) open house packed the hall on March 9 when about 30 people turned out for a lively meeting of engaged residents and Cariboo Regional District (CRD) representatives.
CRD Area G Director Al Richmond says he was pleased to see the residents were so interested and vocal with their questions and concerns regarding this important planning document affecting their community.
"It went on beyond the 8 p.m. [expected conclusion] time, and that was kind of surprising, actually. It had good discussion and we had some follow-up questions and suggestions, which have been really, really good."
The CRD is incorporating feedback from the open house and surveys into the draft OCP, and after a formal referral process, public hearings will take place and the land use planning document will go to the CRD board for adoption.
Richmond notes some of the comments from the La la Hache meeting basically mimicked similar concerns from residents at an open house in 108 Mile Ranch on March 6, regarding the South Cariboo OCP covering more southern parts of his Area G.
"One of the main concerns about Lac la Hache has been the short term rentals, and they clearly do not want us to allow them."
Another concern brought up transportation, which isn't part of land use planning as a whole, but does have a brief mention in the OCP, he explains.
Richmond adds it came from an earlier Ministry of Transportation and Highways release about its Cariboo Connector highways project for traffic improvement mentioning components that would affect their small community, which the CRD checked out prior to the open house.
"The concern [was] about the four-laning of Highway 97 through Lac la Hache, and we were able to report out that the Ministry has said that there is no such plan at this time."
Noting these residents want to be apprised of and engaged in this process, he says what they don't want is to come to a meeting simply to find out this is what their government is going to do.
For more information about the Lac la Hache Area OCP, visit www.cariboord.ca.
Printed surveys underway for both OCP drafts may also be obtained for completion at the CRD offices at Unit 3, 170 Cedar Ave. in 100 Mile House and Suite D, 180 North 3rd Ave. in Williams Lake.