Cohousing-L Mailing List: Rezoning Help

[Gary Kent (garykent]

Looking for Rezoning Help:

The Roberts Creek Cohousing Group is located on the coast of British
Columbia.  We are a 35min ferry ride from Vancouver.  Our area is rural and
semi urban (communters).  Roberts Creek (RC) is a rural community within the
larger community of the Sunshine Coast.   All the communities on the
Sunshine Coast are situated along the highway that runs along the coastline.
The present zoning in RC is min. 5 acre lots in the Agricultural Land
Reserve above the highway.  2 acre lots immediately adjacent to the highway,
from the south boundry all the way to the north boundry.  Min 1/2 acre lots
below the highway all the way to the ocean.  We are looking for land on the
area below the highway (Min. 1/2 acre - allowing one single family dwelling
and a 'guest cottage').  This area is on the bus route, near the school and
village centre.

This zoning was developed by our regional governments planning department
under the guidence of the Official Community Plan of RC (OCP) which was
drawn up over a period of three years by a local (elected) community group.
It is a generally a good plan with careful restrictions on commercial zoning
in order to prevent the usual 'highway strip' of malls, motels & gas
stations.  The down side of the plan (which was developed by community
members anxious to preserve the rural qualities of RC) is that it has
allowed the development of 1/2 acre lot  subdivisions with one large house
plopped in the middle surrounded by lawn.

The OCP is now five years old and the most recent elected committee has
decided to 'open' up the plan and look at the possibility of creating
pockets of higher density zoning.  This is where the RC cohousing group
comes in.  We have been asked to make a presentation to the cttee.,
regarding cohousing (probably 10 - 15 minutes max).  Our tactic is to speak
on general terms about the benefits of cohousing in rural communities rather
than to ask for 'special' zoning for ourselves.

This is where you come in.  We are looking for ideas and, if they exist,
actual examples of 'cohousing zoning' in a rural community.  Our meeting
with the OCP  is May 10th.

Sorry to be so longwinded with the explaination, however we felt the
background was important.

For replies off list: garykent [at] uniserve.com

Thanks.

Stacia Leech & Gary Kent
Roberts Creek Cohousing Group