The deadline is fast approaching to provide feedback on two important Courtenay projects.
The City is looking for feedback on the Transportation and Land Use Master Plan, as well as the Arden Neighbourhood Local Area Plan. Surveys for both projects are available on the City of Courtenay website until Nov. 13.
“We’re making some important decisions on long-range planning, and the more feedback we get, the better,” noted Peter Crawford, the City’s director of development services. “We want to ensure we consider a wide variety of viewpoints from the general public.”
Links to both surveys, as well as project information, reports, and presentations, are available on the City website at www.courtenay.ca.
The City held public consultation sessions on both projects this fall.
The Transportation and Land Use Master Plan is a document that will help guide future transportation and utilities management. The plan will identify various types of land uses — residential, schools, and commercial areas — and ensure they are well connected to provide effective mobility throughout the city.
This could include expanding the greenway network, as well as establishing an “organized hierarchy” of roads, identifying which should be able to accommodate all users, including pedestrians, cyclists and transit, and which should be primarily for automobiles.
Transportation is also one of the aspects of the Arden Local Area Plan, a document that will outline neighbourhood-specific land-use goals for this unique West Courtenay neighbourhood. Residents of the area have identified traffic calming and a more defined trail network as priorities for the plan, as well as the environment.
The plan will also outline appropriate housing densities and building styles, and how to accommodate a growing number of families in the area.
While a large portion of the Arden neighbourhood is outside City of Courtenay boundaries, it has been identified in the Regional Growth Strategy as an area that may potentially be incorporated into the city at some point in the future. The boundaries for the Arden LAP include both sides of Arden Road from the Comox Valley Parkway to approximately Bood Road.
“Now is the time to have your say on these important issues,” said Crawford. “These documents will be used for many years to help make decisions on transportation throughout the city, as well as the long-term look and feel of the Arden neighbourhood.
"It’s a chance for the general public to help shape Courtenay’s future, so we hope many people will take advantage of the opportunity.”
— City of Courtenay