Project Phases
Given the broad scope for related to providing an alternative residential tenure and anticipating servicing capacity, the project has been separated into phases. The outcome of each phase will be to present density neutral options for consideration in OCP and zoning amendments.
Phase 1
This first phase of the Rural Residential Minimum Parcel Size Project establishes a process to consider policy and regulation changes for existing rural residential properties two dwelling building strata lots within the Rural Residential zones. This phase is a priority to provide existing owners with an alternative to building strata and that the subdivision will place no further impact on the community and natural environment. Currently this phase is applied to Rural Residential zones within electoral areas zoning bylaws.
Public engagement into this first phase of the project will be open from Fall 2026 to early 2027. Please provide your perspective on potential changes to OCPs and zoning. If you live within a rural building strata, please let us know your experience and any implications this may have for you.
This resident input will be carefully reviewed and considered in the final recommendations on changes to OCP policy and zoning bylaws.
Phase 2
The second phase of the Rural Residential Minimum Parcel Size Project applies to all other lands within the Rural Residential zones lands of the electoral area zoning bylaws. These lands may be vacant, or contain one or two dwellings. This may also formerly address building strata in other zones not addressed in Phase 1.
Prior to making formal changes to OCPs and zoning bylaws, the RDN will consider baseline conditions within the areas and for unintended consequences of changes. While the existing permitted residential land use regulations were established forty years ago, conditions within the electoral areas have changed. In some areas, groundwater may already be stressed or vulnerable to contamination. Background work will consider high level risk and better understand options for the form of permitted residential development.
While Phase 2 has not formally begun, background work will be started for the East Wellington-Pleasant Valley area in support of the upcoming Official Community Plan (OCP) review in the area. This will be a preliminary study of aquifer risk and servicing, considering relative groundwater stress and vulnerability to development. The study may inform the approach to other electoral areas.
On completion of the East Wellington-Pleasant Valley study in early 2027, the next steps in the project will be determined and further direction from the RDN Board. These next steps will include consideration for other areas of the RDN.
The proposed changes in both Phase 1 and 2 would permit parcel sizes of 1.0 + ha. and only one dwelling on parcels of any size.
