Council for Cumberland is providing a letter of support for the Cumberland Culture and Art Society for the next Woodstove Festival.
Society chair Diana Paige sent the Village a letter in mid-January asking for the letter as the organization seeks funding at national and provincial levels for the fifth annual festival.
“Our aim with the Woodstove Festival is that citizens can be involved in their community through music, the arts and heritage, with affordable pricing. We also have a large base of volunteers. The programming always includes some family entertainment,” she said in the letter.
Paige highlighted the importance for the organization to have local partners and asked for support in light of a end-of-January deadline.
Coun. Sean Sullivan made a motion at the Jan. 27 meeting for council to provide a letter for the festival, while Coun. Vickey Brown noted the tight deadline and suggested the Village ask the festival organizers for a more notice next time.
Council passed the motion for support unanimously.
The Woodstove Festival takes place in downtown Cumberland for a weekend in the fall. Last November, there were more than 120 acts performing.
RELATED STORY: Woodstove Fest brings 120-plus acts to Cumberland Nov. 1-3
Liquid waste plan
A delegation of residents from Steam Engine Estates appeared before council last month to ask to be kept informed of how the Village’s liquid waste management plan might affect them.
They said they want to avoid problems in other parts of the region between residents and nearby sewage treatment, and wanted the Village to establish some type of engagement process. They cited a number of concerns, such as disruption during construction, chemicals used during treatment and potential for issues such as odours.
Council made a motion to refer the correspondence from Steam Engine Estates residents and neighbours to staff to address. The motion passed unanimously.
The Village is moving ahead with the liquid waste management plan. It had been warned in recent years for non-compliance issues concerning wastewater and was finally fined by the Province during the summer.
RELATED STORY: Cumberland residents hope to avoid Curtis Road-type wastewater dispute
Housekeeping zoning bylaw
The Village is putting together a zoning bylaw to add some ‘housekeeping’ amendments.
At the last council meeting on Jan. 27, council passed a motion to refer the amendments with their comments to the Village’s Advisory Planning Commission, following a presentation by senior planner Karin Albert.
The changes include updating references to the Local Government Act; adding definitions or clarifying existing definitions; clarifying that the mobile vending regulation includes goods, not just food; updating permitted home occupations; permitting accessory dwelling units in front yards; clarifying the prohibition of breezeways between principal residences and accessory dwelling units and accessory buildings; and making some corrections to a couple of zoning categories or mapping errors. As well, the Village wants to rezone the property for the new fire hall at 4382 Cumberland Rd.
Council had some questions around clarity for urban agriculture such as produce stands in town versus those that sold where produce is grown, or around definitions for value-added agriculture products. There was also some concern around accessory dwellings in front yards and how these might affect neighbourhood character. Albert pointed out such proposals will still need to go through a development permit process, though they will be able to apply without needing to seek a development variance.
“We open the door for people to apply,” she said.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.