City to lobby province for flood plain rule change

“And we’re not going to do this for a year or so. We’re going to do it immediately, because if we don’t get it, then we want the Official Community Plan to go forward.”

He reiterated his support for an Official Community Plan, but the problem for him is the one-in-500-year flood plain.

He also gave notice that he would bring forward a motion to have members of administration forward all of their correspondence, telephone conversations and emails with the province about the flood plain to council. The request is for all of this information going as far back as six months ago, specifically relating to requests made to the province to rescind the one-in-500-year flood plain in favour of a one-in-100-year standard.

The difference between the two is the level of flood risk involved. The one-in-100-year flood zone – the floodway – is an area at a higher risk of flooding than the area outside of it in the flood plain known as the flood fringe. If such efforts to rescind the one-in-500-year standard and adopt only a one-in-100 year standard succeed, then fewer residents and a smaller area of land would be affected by the flood guidelines.

Cody had another message for administration: “Don’t be worried that I’m trying to get at you here, this is information that we need, should we have an opportunity to go to the provincial government. And I’m prepared to be one of those people, because I think there’s a great opportunity here.”

The Official Community Plan covers more than just the flood plain – it outlines the City’s vision for land use, utilities and infrastructure as well. But the one-in-500-year flood plain has garnered opposition from within the community for the potential costs to the community that would come with adopting it. Residents at the two flood plain meetings had expressed concerns about their property values.

New construction within the flood plain is possible, but developers and property owners would have to adhere to building guidelines, such as minimum floor elevation levels.

One condominium development approved on Monday will be built at 1600 First Street East, within the flood plain, but the developer’s plan conforms to the guidelines.

There are also concerns about flood mitigation and preventative measures, specifically the cost of building a dike. Members of council, including Mayor Greg Dionne, want to find out what the cost to build a dike would be.

However, the mayor spoke out against picking sides in the debate for and against the flood plain. Instead, he said it is council’s job to bring both sides together to see if they can come up with a better plan.

“Picking sides, there’s no sides to be picked,” he said, before referencing a statement made by Coun. Martin Ring earlier in the discussion, that the standard as set out in the provincial regulations is the law.

“That still doesn’t make it right,” Dionne continued, and said there are still so many questions out there.

The one-in-500-year flood plain was first adopted by the provincial government in 1977, under Premier Allan Blakeney. It was adopted into the Statements of Provincial Interest in 2012.

Dionne said the province wasn’t rushed to do this. As well, the City hasn’t adopted an Official Community Plan since 1987 — and the applicability of such documents is finite. He said the City has operated in spite of this, but it needs to be updated.

“But we’re moving forward at a pace that I don’t like as the mayor,” he said.

The reason for the Official Community Plan proceeding at the pace it has been is something planning and development services director John Guenther spoke to after the meeting.

One reason is that the new plan proposal has existed since 2009 and was endorsed by the council of the day.

“So, the feeling was from staff and administration that we were ready to bring it forward, and it was part of the timetable that was introduced … in January,” Guenther said.

He said you never have “completely enough” public engagement, more can always be done, so administration felt it had a sufficient amount.

“I think council is right in a lot of ways. It’s probably better to slow it down overall, not just [the] flood plain.”

But council’s agreement that administration should delay further plans to bring forward the Official Community Plan for approval until it has lobbied the province, doesn’t mean the process itself is on hold. The City still has plans to hold a second Official Community Plan open house on June 10 in the City Hall foyer.

“We’ll just move ahead with more public engagement,” Guenther said. “We’ll change the process. The next report will probably come back with a new timetable.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

City to lobby province for flood plain rule change

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