News Leader News for September 11, 2007
TOWN COUNCIL NEWS BRIEFS
Town has no objection to plans
Eli Wong, owner of Princeton Castle Resort, has applied to Regional District for a change in permitted use of the property.
The zoning would change from Commercial Recreational to Commercial Recreational Site Specific because Wong is adding a natural health and spa school to provide instruction in natural health and day spa professions from September through April.
As the property is located in the fringe area of Princeton, Town Council was asked if they had any comment on the proposed zoning change. Council had no objection to the zoning change.
Councillor Jim Manion was absent during the discussion of the change, as he has been Wong's employee.
Province should pay, says Council
Fuel management projects are undertaken by municipalities to prevent forest fires from spreading into towns. Squamish-Lillooet Regional District says the Ministry of Forests should be planning and paying for these projects, and has sent a resolution to Premier Gordon Campbell to express this view.
Princeton's Town Council agrees. In order to devise fuel management plans, the Town is obliged to hire consultants because persons with the necessary expertise are not available on staff. To make matters more difficult for municipalities, most of the areas most at risk for wildfires are in Crown lands administered by the province.
RDOS areas receive tourism funds
The Union of BC Municipalities has released Phase 2 of Community Tourism Funding to Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.
Area H, around Princeton, will receive $12,734.28. Area G, around Hedley, will receive $13,311. Money is allocated on a population basis.
Town Square project stalls
The Town Square Project proposed by Princeton Town Council is stalled. Town Council has applied for funding from the Ministry of Community Services to carry out a full plan to determine cost of the project, but no funding has been allocated to Princeton.
A complete plan, including changes to infrastructure underground and above ground, must be done before any construction can be contemplated. It looks like our Town Square upgrade is still in the dim future.
Council okays new housing
Town Council has authorized the issuance of a development permit for residential construction on Angela Avenue just off Bridge Street. The permit allows for building three duplexes, which will conform to the downtown heritage theme.
TRANSIT CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY
Nadine McEwen advised Town Council there will be a public celebration on September 18 to mark the 25th anniversary of BC Transit in Princeton. She told Council there have been 133,000 fares since the service began in 1982.
BC Transit is sending special 25 cent tickets for rides on the community bus on September 18 during regular hours of bus operation. From 2:00 to 3:00 PM on that date, there will be cake and refreshments at Town Hall. The public is invited to attend and to take a ride on the bus.
During 2005/06, fares for Princeton and area totaled 6,422, and increased to 8,396 for the 2006/07 year, a 31 percent increase in ridership. This was among the higher increases in B.C. but the overall trend for the province shows a strong increase in the number of people using rural BC Transit services.
MAKE YOUR MARK ON PRINCETON'S FUTURE
Notices have been sent out advising Princeton residents about an Official Community Plan (OCP). A public meeting will be held September 19 to hear input from local residents.
Why should you care?
An OCP determines how the community will look in the future. Where will we ave new residential construction? What new parks should we have? How high should buildings be? Should we have more parking in some areas? Where should industrial development take place? What water resources should we plan for if we are going to expand?
These are some of the questions that need to be addressed regarding future development of our town.
Princeton's former OCP was done in 1993 and is quite out of date. Local people need to review possible options for future development if Princeton is to prosper. The OCP is a long-range vision of what our town can look like in the years to come. Constructive, creative vision is needed from all sectors of the community.
Keremeos underwent this process two years ago, and their plan has led to expansion of residential properties and subsequent growth of their community. The expansion was led by the community plan.
The meeting on September 19 at 6:30 PM at the Princeton & District Community Skills Centre is just the tip of the iceberg in the planning process. Public input will lead to further meetings and the public will be consulted at each stage of the planning process. This is an opportunity for citizens of Princeton to make their mark on the future.
