Excerpts from Cable Bay public hearing

🎧 Listen in your preferred podcast app.

A public hearing on the potential rezoning of lands near Cable Bay trail packed the Vancouver Island Conference Centre Thursday April 16th, and is set to continue this week.

Around 68 people spoke to the matter, with 24 of them calling into the hearing, with council also receiving 907 written submissions.

At issue is a rezoning bylaw.

It would see close to 75 hectares of land near the southeastern edge of Nanaimo rezoned from Rural Resource [AR1] zoning to Industrial [I4].

AR 1 zoning “provides agriculture and rural uses on larger lots without urban services,” and permitted uses include agriculture, golf courses, and animal shelters.

Per the city’s zoning bylaw I4 zoning provides for heavy industrial development that is not compatible with residential uses.

Among numerous permitted uses under this type of zoning are Wood and Paper Processing, log sorting and storage, chemical plants, and a use case simply listed as industry.

The land is owned by Nanaimo Forest Products, also known in the community as Harmac Pacific.

The rezoning application also includes provisions for a site specific use for agriculture, with one section of the lands anticipated to play home to a greenhouse and housing for temporary foreign workers.

The parcel of land in question is located directly west of Cable Bay trail. If approved as is, a buffer with an average length of 100 metres is to be left next to the trail. In some places limited industrial use is forecast 50 meters away from the trail according to a site map.

Midcoast Morning brings you excerpts from the hearing, which is set to continue Wednesday April 22nd, at 7PM.

Support Midcoast Morning and our Nonprofit Newsroom with a monthly sustaining donation of $5 to $10 a month.

Program Team: