After a year of consultations, the City of Duncan has finally adopted its new zoning bylaw.
Zoning states what is and is not permitted on a given property and the new bylaw is intended to simplify the 30-year-old outdated bylaw that was on the City of Duncan’s books.
The old zoning bylaw had been amended 73 times since its 1988 adoption, and city officials determined that it was no longer in line with the vision set out in the 2007 Official Community Plan.
As such, staffers at City Hall have come up with a completely new one to keep up with the times.
The new zoning comes after a year of online surveys, mail outs, open houses and three public hearings to get as much public feedback as possible.
The new bylaw will reduce the number of zones from 16 to eight with more flexibility within each zone, and is expected to allow for more opportunity and greater flexibility for developers and property owners..
It will also provide property owners with more land-use options, permit row houses, improve street scapes, permit urban farming, and more.
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“I am pleased that the city was able to listen to the public feedback and find solid land-use solutions,” said Mayor Phil Kent.
“We are open for business. With a streamlined approval process, coupled with the newly defined zones, the city will shape itself for the next 50 to 100 years to create a vibrant and welcoming place to live, work and play.”