Gambier LTC Special Meeting Addendum

Extracted text (beginning)

Gambier Island Local Trust Committee
 
Special Meeting Addendum
 

Date:October 31, 2023
Time:9:00 am
Location:Electronic Meeting
Pages
3.BUSINESS ITEMS
9:05 AM - 11:05 AM
3.1Keats Shoreline Protection Project - Proposed Bylaw No. 154
3.1.1Keats Shoreline Protection Project - Trustee Memo
2 - 16

To:   Gambier Local Trust Commi2ee 
Marlis McCargar 
Renee Jamurat 
From:   Joe Bernardo 
For:  Special Mee<ng of October 31, 2023 
Subject:  Amendments to Proposed Bylaw 154 
BACKGROUND 
Bylaw 78 is the land use bylaw (LUB) applicable to Keats Island. DraT Bylaw 154 proposes to 
amend it. 
At the July 21, 2023 community informa<on session, the principal concerns shared by islanders 
regarding Bylaw 154 were the same as those expressed at previous public mee<ngs.  
In summary, Keats Island residents con<nue to be concerned that: 
•The proposed new dock regula<ons are imprac<cal for smaller waterfront lots on Keats Island.  
•The proposed exemp<on for repairing and maintaining pre-exis<ng structures within 
proposed Development Permit Area 3 (DPA3) needs to be amended to clarify that 
maintenance includes the normal course replacement of building components.   
•The proposed development permit requirement is overly broad. Addi<onal exemp<ons and 
clearer applica<on guidelines are needed to ensure unnecessary financial costs and delays are 
not imposed on island residents. 
•The Trust should work collabora<vely with residents to implement effec<ve and 
environmentally sound shoreline protec<on measures, instead of relying solely on introducing 
new restric<ons that rely on the threat of enforcement to compel compliance. 
These concerns emerge from a widespread recogni<on within the community that as currently 
draTed the new regula<ons proposed by Bylaw 154 do not fully align with actual condi<ons on 
the island. 
The popula<on of Keats Island is, and has always been, concentrated on or near the shoreline.  
•In the areas zoned to allow for residen<al development, virtually all suitable shoreline 
proper<es were developed decades ago. The shoreline is already heavily developed. 
•The great majority of waterfront residen<al lots have been ac<vely occupied for decades.  
•It follows that much of the soil and vegeta<on within 15 metres from the natural boundary of 
the sea (NBS) has already been significantly disturbed.  
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In all developed waterfront lots, at least some degree of landscaping has taken place 
within the boundaries of the prospec<ve DPA3. 
 
Islands Trust Page 1
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In many cases, if not most, the disrup<on of na<ve vegeta<on and altera<on of the 
terrain has been substan<al.  
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Long term human use of the land has also resulted in invasive plant species taking root 
along the shoreline, with extensive and persistent infesta<ons of non-na<ve blackberry 
species and English ivy being the most obvious examples.  
Notwithstanding these impacts on the environment, in many areas the shoreline and immediate 
terrain upland of the NBS nonetheless re

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