Emily Carson-Apstein
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder
A significant portion of the April 17 regular Islands Trust meeting was devoted to discussing progress and challenges of community engagement in the Official Community Plan, a land-use planning document which the Gabriola Islands Trust is re-visioning with the input of Gabriolans.
Islands Trust staff and trustees recognized the ongoing issue of balancing solutions for the housing crisis with maintaining the environmental protections for which the Islands Trust was founded.
Land use bylaws which were put in place to protect natural resources (like groundwater) limit the number of dwellings and occupants on a given lot. While these laws prevent the potentially overwhelming amounts of housing development seen in nearby cities, they also currently prevent types of co-living or co-ownership that many community members desire.
Too much leeway on land use bylaws can open the door for developers who don’t respect the goals of the community, but too many restrictions on housing development make it so only those with generational wealth can afford to live on the gulf islands.
Gabriola is facing a labour shortage, partly because of the cost of living and the lack of housing options.
The trustees expressed that even vital roles like first responders are not able to find housing and this is impacting our community’s access to everything from healthcare to customer service in the grocery store.
Most agree that gulf island living should not be reserved for the wealthy and privileged, but this belief doesn’t always carry over into the planning decisions we make as a community.
Trustee Yates emphasized the need to consider the amount of resources used by humans on the island, but that one mansion could use the same amount of resources as four smaller homes, so it is possible to house the growing population without increasing our environmental impact.
The Islands Trust wants the community’s input on this balance, and this is the type of topic that will be covered by the Official Community Plan.
To add a voice to the conversation, keep an eye out for public engagement events on the Islands Trust website, social media, and in the Sounder.
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