Nanaimo Airport Land Use Bylaw Updates

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The Regional District of Nanaimo is proposing to amend the Electoral Area A Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw No. 500 for lands owned by the Nanaimo Airport Commission both to recognize the existing airport operations and to facilitate future commercial development on the portion of land fronting the Trans Canada Highway at Spitfire Road.

The Nanaimo Airport is a regional transportation hub and important part of the Central Vancouver Island economy. The Nanaimo Airport Commission, who owns and operates the airport, has a land use plan that includes expanding the airport terminal and airside commercial for aviation and aviation light industrial, and developing land adjacent to the Trans Canada Highway for commercial uses, passenger flow, and parking.

How you can find out more or provide feedback:

  • Register (tab at the top right of this page) to be kept up-to-date with progress on this project through our electronic communications and provide us your thoughts.
  • Attend an Open House or local office hours in Cassidy (now complete)
  • Explore this webpage to find out more about the project. Staff reports and other documents can be accessed in the document library.
  • Ask us a question in the Q & A section below and we will respond.

The RDN looks forward to your participation.

The Regional District of Nanaimo is proposing to amend the Electoral Area A Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw No. 500 for lands owned by the Nanaimo Airport Commission both to recognize the existing airport operations and to facilitate future commercial development on the portion of land fronting the Trans Canada Highway at Spitfire Road.

The Nanaimo Airport is a regional transportation hub and important part of the Central Vancouver Island economy. The Nanaimo Airport Commission, who owns and operates the airport, has a land use plan that includes expanding the airport terminal and airside commercial for aviation and aviation light industrial, and developing land adjacent to the Trans Canada Highway for commercial uses, passenger flow, and parking.

How you can find out more or provide feedback:

  • Register (tab at the top right of this page) to be kept up-to-date with progress on this project through our electronic communications and provide us your thoughts.
  • Attend an Open House or local office hours in Cassidy (now complete)
  • Explore this webpage to find out more about the project. Staff reports and other documents can be accessed in the document library.
  • Ask us a question in the Q & A section below and we will respond.

The RDN looks forward to your participation.

Do you have a question for the RDN in regard to this project.  If so, please ask us here.

Q&A

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    Public transit from Qualicum, Parksville & Nanaimo to YCD should be available to correlate with flight schedules, and to both ferry ports. IS that likely to happen soon - in line with climate chsnge strategies|?

    Marek asked 9 months ago

    Transit service is being expanded to the Nanaimo Airport in 2020. You can read the announcement and list of other expansion areas at this link. Although service to the ferries isn't being added at this time, a review of the entire RDN transit network is also planned for 2020. 

    transit
    transit
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    Around 435000 people used the airport in 2018. When will there be affordable public transit to the airport?

    melord01 asked about 1 year ago

    Public transit to the Nanaimo Airport is currently being explored by the RDN and BC Transit. The RDN is actively working on a Local Area Transit Plan for South Nanaimo. The April, 2019 update identifies service to the Nanaimo Airport as one of the most frequently mentioned service improvements during recent public engagement. The staff report in the April update includes more detailed information.

    No date has yet been set for establishing public transit service to the Nanaimo Airport, but future steps in the planning process will determine what priority this is relative to other priorities for expanding transit service.

    #transit
    #transit
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    Hi Courtney - Thanks for the response. Following through on your statement that aeronautics and the operation of airports is under federal authority, would you please tell me which federal authority I should contact to find out what's going on and let them know my concerns. And while I'm at it, how do I get to see what other people are saying about the a/p expansion and amending Area A's OCP? Thanks - Bob McKechnie, Gabriola Island, BC

    bobmck asked over 1 year ago

    Bob - the federal Aeronautics Act is administered by Transport Canada. By the way, the Nanaimo Airport does have information on their current terminal expansion project on their website, if that is of interest.

    Yours are the only questions submitted to the online Q&A so far. When we begin public outreach beyond simply having this website up for information, public comments will be compiled and reported on.

    Federal
    Federal
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    Hi Courtney - I understand the NAC is wanting to have zoning changed to accommodate expansion of Nanaimo's airport in various unspecified ways on the basis of improved local economy, etc. I also read an RDN report - Nanaimo Airport Planning Bylaw Updates Terms of Reference December 6, 2018 in which neither Gabriola Island nor the Islands Trust are included in the list of stakeholders in the consultation process. Three immediate questions please - 1) Where does one find out more about what the expansion plan is? (I heard a rumour it involves lengthening the runway so larger/heavier aircraft can use it), 2) Why are neither Gabriola Island nor the Islands Trust listed as stakeholder in the process? (a runway expansion will obviously have a huge impact on Gabriola(!), and it runs counter to the IT's mandate to preserve and protect), and 3) What can be done to get Gabriola Island and the Islands Trust on the stakeholder list? Thanks - Bob McKechnie, Gabriola Island

    bobmck asked over 1 year ago

    This RDN land use planning project is limited to consideration of non-aeronautics uses on land owned by the Nanaimo Airport Commission, such as commercial or industrial uses that are not related to operation of the airport. The area adjacent to the Trans Canada Highway has been identified as a potential location for these uses.  Aeronautics and the operation of airports is under federal authority and not subject to the regulatory control of the RDN. This includes runways, terminals, and other associated uses, so these uses are not part of the RDN's project.

    The Nanaimo Airport website has some information about their terminal expansion project www.nanaimoairport.com/business/airport-improvements/. 

    jurisdiction, scope
    jurisdiction scope