Okanagan-Interior Chapter

Green Bylaws Toolkit Workshops – Vernon and Kelowna
PIBC Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for PIBC members.

Planners are invited to attend workshops on the Green Bylaws Toolkit (GBT) with Deborah Curran, the law instructor with the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria who completed the GBT. The GBT gives examples of a wide variety of land use policies, bylaws and other tools that can be used by local government decision-makers and planners to help conserve environmental values.

Topic 1: Development Permit Areas for Protection of the Natural Environment (Section 7 of the GBT, plus a general introduction to the GBT)
Time: April 15th, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Location: Vernon, Ministry of Environment Office (Board Room, 4607 - 23rd Street, Vernon, BC)

Topic 2: Regional Growth Strategies (Section 3 of the GBT)
Time: April 15th, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Location: Vernon Ministry of Environment Office (Board Room, 4607 - 23rd Street, Vernon, BC)

Topic 3: Official Community Plans and Zoning (Section 5 and 6 of the GBT)
Time: April 16th, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
Location: Kelowna, City Hall (Council Chambers, 1435 Water Street, Kelowna, BC)

Please register early (~April 1st) for these free workshops as seating may be limited and we will need to know if a larger venue is required.
For Vernon Workshops, please RSVP to Simone Runyan by email at serunyan@interchange.ubc.ca (Subject: Green Bylaws Toolkit Workshops).
For Kelowna Workshop, please RSVP to Keri McMahon at kmcmahon@kelowna.ca or 250-469-8553.

Thanks to Ducks Unlimited for providing funding for Deborah Curran to provide these workshops.


Workshop Details

Topic 1: Development Permit Areas for Protection of the Natural Environment
This workshop will provide a general introduction to the GBT and an exploration of Environmental Development Permit Areas (DPA’s), with a focus on how these tools can be applied in the Greater Vernon Area. Draft schedule:
• GBT overview
• General introduction to environmental DPA's
• Break - Light refreshments to be provided
• The development of Environmentally Sensitive Areas maps based on SEI data in the Greater Vernon area
• Context-specific examples of environmental DPA's in B.C.
• Tailoring DPA's based on available data in the Greater Vernon area
• Discussion: questions and answers
Note: Please RSVP to Simone Runyan by email at serunyan@interchange.ubc.ca (Subject: Green Bylaws Toolkit Workshops).

Topic 2: Regional Growth Strategies
This workshop will provide an overview of planning tools which are integrated into Regional Growth Strategies, with examples from around B.C. The focus of this workshop will be a new Regional Growth Strategy for the Regional District of North Okanagan. Draft schedule:
• Overview of Regional Growth Strategies: strengths and weaknesses
• Examples of RGS's employed in B.C.
• Key components of RGS's:
• e.g. urban growth boundaries, rural and urban policies, measurable targets
• Discussion: questions and answers
Note: Please RSVP to Simone Runyan by email at serunyan@interchange.ubc.ca (Subject: Green Bylaws Toolkit Workshops).

Topic 3: Official Community Plans and Zoning
This workshop will provide a general overview of the Green Bylaws Toolkit and explore OCP’s and Zoning as tools for environmental protection. Kelowna’s OCP will also be discussed as it employs several tools described in the GBT and has recently begun an OCP review. Topics will include hillside development guidelines, amenity density bonusing, run-off control and impervious surfaces, visual impacts and greenways. Planners from other jurisdictions may find the discussions insightful and are welcome to attend, and are encouraged to scan the GBT document ( www.greenbylaws.ca) in order to have some background before the workshop. If desired, an OCP workshop specific to your jurisdiction can be arranged depending on availability. Draft Schedule:
• General overview of Green Bylaws and Q&A
• Update on Kelowna OCP Review
• Break
• Green OCP’s
• Green Zoning
Note: Please RSVP to Keri McMahon at kmcmahon@kelowna.ca or 250-469-8553.

PIBC Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for PIBC members, as follows:
Topic 1 - 3.5 credits
Topic 2 - 2 credits
Topic 3 - 3 credits

This event is sponsored by:
Ducks Unlimited
Planning Institute of BC

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