South Highlands Local Area Plan

The District would like to thank everyone who worked towards the creation and finalization of the South Highlands Local Area Plan (SHLAP) document.

While this is the end of the SHLAP process, it is now time to implement the plan. The Official Community Plan was amended to incorporate the SHLAP’s policy direction. This web page will now only act as an archive for the SHLAP process.

Background Information

June 2023 Update

May 2023 Update

April 2023 Update

February 2023 Update

July 2022 Update

The full Draft SHLAP is ready for community feedback!

The past several months has seen the completion of the Early Directions Survey, development of a preliminary draft SHLAP, extensive input from the SHLAP Task Force, and discussion and input from District Council. All of this contributed to the draft SHLAP. We are now looking for your input, once again, to help finalize the draft prior to presenting it to District Council in September.

You can view and download the document or on the www.LetsTalkSHALP.ca web site.

By end of day Sunday, July 10, please, send your feedback directly to the District Planner, Laura Becket: lbeckett@highlands.ca.

Thank you – your time and input are valuable.

Task Force Meeting #8 of Phase 2 - Tuesday, May 10, 2022, 12:00 - 2:00pm Via Zoom

We are almost there! This last meeting of the Task Force will serve as their review of a high-level draft of the South Highlands Local Area Plan. After this, the Project Team will create a full draft plan for public review. Stay tuned!

April 2022 Update

Council requested more information at its January 24, 2022 Meeting. This information can be found under item 3.1 of the March 14 Committee of the Whole Meeting. Discussion occurred and the following motions were made and later ratified at the March 21, 2022 Council Meeting:

That Land Use Option 2 – “Low Impact Development” Be Selected For The Millstream Industrial Park Property As High Level Policy Direction For Early Local Area Plan Drafting Purposes.

That Land Use Option 1 – “No New Development” Be Selected For The Millstream Meadows Property As High Level Policy Direction For Early Local Area Plan Drafting Purposes.

That Land Use Option 1 – “No New Development” Be Selected For The OK-Industries Property As High Level Policy Direction For Early Local Area Plan Drafting Purposes.

That Land Use Option 2 – “Low Impact Development” Be Selected For The M3-Zoned Portion Of The GFL
Property As High Level Policy Direction For Early Local Area Plan Drafting Purposes;

And That Land Use Option 1 –“No New Development” Be Selected For The GB2-Zoned Portion Of The GFL Property, As High Level Policy Direction For Early Local Area Plan Drafting Purposes.

The next step is for the Project Team to draft preliminary local area plan content that will be vetted by the Task Force. This Task Force Meeting will occur via Zoom on May 10, 2022 from 12-2pm and is open to the public for viewing. The Zoom link will be published in early May.

The anticipated step after that is community engagement of a full draft South Highlands Local Area Plan.

January 2022 Update

November 2021 Update

We received 268 surveys in total. WOW! The project team are processing and analyzing the data, to develop the Engagement Summary Report.
The Engagement Summary Report serves as the next major deliverable for the project, and will be posted on the District’s web site once ready.
After that is complete, the Project Team will draft early local area plan key content.
Review of the draft early local area plan key content will be the subject of the next Task Meeting. We expect this to occur approximately 5 weeks after the Engagement Summary is made public.

Survey is now complete - November 8, 2021

October Update - Survey Time!!

Printable Version of Survey

Task Force Meeting #7 of Phase 2 - Monday, September 20, 2021, 5:30 - 7:30pm Via Zoom

July 2021 Update

A report went to Council on June 7, 2021 (item 10.5) regarding updating the terms of reference for Phase 2 of the South Highlands Local Area Plan and allocating more money for the project. The report was tabled and then considered in conjunction with this report. at the following Council Meeting on June 21, 2021. At that Meeting, Council approved an updated terms of reference for Phase 2 and also allocated another $45,000 toward the project.

Summary of June 21, 2021 Council Direction and Staff Report

Task Force Meeting #6 of Phase 2 - Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 6-9PM Via Zoom

Task Force Meeting #5 of Phase 2 - Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 12-2PM Via Zoom

Agenda - April 7, 2021
Task Force Meeting Summary - April 7, 2021
DRAFT Preliminary Directions
Presentation - April 7, 2021

Task Force Meeting #4 of Phase 2 – Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 12-2PM Via Zoom

Agenda - February 10, 2021
Task Force Meeting Summary - February 10, 2021
DRAFT Preliminary Directions

January 2021 Update

Stakeholder Workshop - November 30, 2020

October 2020 Update

September 2020 Update

Phase 2 is underway! This is the phase where plan will actually be created – Research, public (probably mostly online) engagement, writing…more research, more public (probably mostly online) engagement, more writing…Until we collectively get it right.

Over the summer, the Task Force met once through a Zoom meeting and finalized the Background Summary Analysis Report August 2021 (this version has been updated to include information about sites east of Millstream Road) that provides overall project context, policy directions that inform the South Highlands Local Area Plan, and the policy framework into which the plan will be integrated. Key to the project is the Engagement Plan , which was the other item finalized by the Task Force over the summer.

STILL TO HAPPEN: Key outstanding issues from Phase 1 to be resolved early in Phase 2:

Consideration for expanding Task Force – As a result of establishing a local area plan boundary, broader membership would result in a more informed group.
Consultation with Tsartlip First Nation and Ecoasis (Bear Mountain) – Properties owned by these groups are within the local area plan boundary.
Build Task Force capacity for decision-making – Part of this was to provide an overview of District policies and regulations. Here is a link to the presentation and a summary sheet of policies, bylaws, and regulations.

July 2020 Update

April 2020 Update

At its April 6, 2020 Meeting, Council approved Phase 2 of the South Highlands Local Area Plan.

Fortunately, the Task Force Meetings for Phase 1 were not interrupted by the Public Health Orders for COVID-19. Below are the outcomes of the Task Force’s work for Phase 1. It is expected that these three elements will make up a Terms of Reference for Phase 2. In line with the overall Project Terms of Reference and Overview, a Terms of Reference will go to Council for their approval. This is expected to happen soon. Feel free to email LBeckett@highlands.ca if you have any questions.

February 2020 Update

Phase 1

Task Force Meetings have been scheduled. They will be held at the Community Hall, 729 Finlayson Arm Road. Public are welcome to attend and listen to the discussion.

Each session will have a different topic. We will post meeting materials and notes when they are complete.

The second meeting will cover two topics AND will occur twice on the same day:

Session 1 – February 13, 2020

Session 1 Material

Sessions 2 and 3 Combined – February 26, 2020

Afternoon – 12-2pm
Evening – 6:30-8:30pm

*NB: Both times will cover the same material.*

Session 2 & 3 Material

Session 4 – March 9, 2020

Session 4 Material

December 2019 Update & Next Steps

Council has awarded a contract to Barefoot Planning + Design as lead consultant for the project. Planning work will start in December, and the first Task Force Meeting will occur between December 2019 and January 2020. All meetings are open to the public. Check back to this web page for more details as they become available.

Task Force Members Appointed

Thanks and Congratulations to Task Force Members!

South Highlands Local Area Task Force

Lexie Biegun
Regine Klein
Rick Lester
Bob McMinn
Scott Richardson
Mel Sangha
Kim Vincent
Stephanie Wilkins
Terri Wood

July 2019 - Ready Set Go!

As part of Council’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, the South Highlands Local Area Plan is officially underway. At their July 15, 2019 Meeting, Council approved the following Terms of Reference and Overview for the project, which includes a Task Force.

The first phase of the project is to determine what/where is South Highlands and outline the details of contents for the plan. The second phase is to create the South Highlands Local Area Plan.

South Highlands Local Area Plan

Background Information

Links to Background Information