I am interrupting my series on the Alice-in-Wonderland vibe at the special meeting where the CBRM Council narrowly - and weirdly - voted to create a new zone in Big Pond, which will be surrounded by rural zones, at the behest of Calgary-based developer Chris Skidmore.

Why?

The land where Mr. Skidmore would like to build his colossal RV park borders an environmentally sensitive barachois, coastline and wetlands. 

He wants to put a floating water park on a ecologically important barachois. You can see a photo of it here .

And he wants to create a 1,000 foot sandy beach where there is none.

Yet the CBRM Council and the CBRM planning & development department have responded to any pleas to include the environmental health of the Bras d'Or Lake in their decision-making process in this way - I am paraphasing: "Lake? What Lake?"

Seriously. This lake. 

 

Let's take a step back.

CBRM Council held a public meeting about the Big Pond RV proposal: There were 27 presentations - 26 were compelling arguments against creating a new zone in Big Pond. You can watch it here :

CBRM planning & development department responded to the concerns raised at the public meeting in writing: You can read their responses here .

One statement leapt off the page as I was reading what the CBRM planning & development department had to say about their responsibilty toward the Bras d'Or Lake:



Huh? The whole premise of environmental stewardship involves caring for part of something bigger.

Let me share something that almost made me spit out my coffee when I read it:

The CBRM Council adopted a Municipal Climate Change Action Plan on April 15th, 2014.

Gosh,  I thought, you would think that an action plan for climate change would have to consider the Bras d'Or Lake. 

And, lo and behold, it does. 

(I know.) 

Here is a quote from our Municipal Climate Change Action Plan. 

1. "While the current Municipal Planning Strategy policies advocate for a collaborative approach with the Province, it is recommended that CBRM, on its own, initiate a coastal setback policy to be implemented in its land use bylaws based on elevation, protection of known environmentally sensitive sites in proximity to the coast, and scientifically accepted predictions of sea level rise over time referenced in cited documents below."

Where is this coastal setback policy? The action plan was adopted by Council 4 years ago.

And another quote from the action plan:

2. "The most appropriate regulations for initial adoption are those put forward by EDM (for CEPI) for the Bras d'Or watershed."

You can read the report that EDM prepared for CEPI here. 

The Bras d"Or Lake Development Standards - the publication that the Council was meant to use to implement their Climate Change Action Plan suggests rules like this for the protection oif water:

• "It shall be a policy of Council to encourage development to locate in areas within the Bras d’Or Watershed that are connected to or can feasibly be connected to existing water and sewer networks."

• "Notwithstanding anything else in this Bylaw, all lots abutting a watercourse shall retain at least a 20-metre vegetated buffer next to such watercourse."

• "... that the proposed roads and building sites do not significantly impact on any primary conservation area, including riparian buffers, wetlands, 1 in 100 year floodplains, rock outcroppings, slopes in excess of 30%, agricultural soils and archaeological sites"

Or these rules for the protection of open spaces: 

• "... that consideration be given to any other matter relating to the impact of the development on surrounding uses or on the general community."

• "that the development is designed to retain the nondisturbance areas and to maintain connectivity with any open space on adjacent parcels;" 

and there is more. 

How can CBRM Council adopt a Municipal Climate Change Action Plan and then ignore it, telling residents that they have no jurisdiction over the environment? 

Council obviously believes that they can do this. 

I guess we will find out. 

I will be sending this post to Mayor Clarke and asking for an explanation of this bewildering situation. 

Stay tuned.