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Present: |
Chair: | G. McClintock | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
Director: | E. Grieve | Puntledge/Black Creek (Area C) |
Members: | C. Brown | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
| A. Burch | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
| M. Halstead | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
| D. Page | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
| W. Prothero | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
| B. Thompson | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
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Staff: | T. Trieu | Manager of Planning Services | | B. Chow | Planner II |
| D. Thiessen | Planner |
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Absent: |
Members: | R. Poirier | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
| J. Slomp | Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission |
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ATTENDANCE | |
With the exception of B. Thompson and A. Burch, all the commission members and Director Grieve participated via electronic means. |
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CALL TO ORDER AND RECOGNITION OF TRADITIONAL TERRITORIES | |
The Chair called the meeting to order and staff acknowledged that the meeting was being held on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation. |
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RECEIPT OF MINUTES | |
B. Thompson/W. Prothero: THAT the minutes of the Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission meeting held September 9, 2021 be received. [Item] |
  | Carried |
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REPORTS | |
Prior to consideration of the following item Andrea Burch, Dove Creek community, recused herself due to a conflict of interest, being part of a delegation presenting in opposition to the construction of a telecommunications tower on the property located at 3505 Dove Creek Road. |
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PROPOSED TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER – 3505 DOVE CREEK ROAD (TELUS COMMUNICATIONS INC) |
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D. Thiessen, Planner, provided an overview of the memorandum dated September 23, 2021 regarding the proposed construction of a 62.0 metre tall telecommunications tower on the property located at 3505 Dove Creek Road. [Item] |
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Brian Gregg (SitePath Consulting Ltd.) representing Telus was in attendance via electronic means.
Sarah Nicholson, and Andrea Burch, Dove Creek community, presented information in opposition to the construction of a 62.0 metre tall telecommunications tower on the property located at 3505 Dove Creek Road. |
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B. Thompson/D. Page: WHEREAS there is a very concerned local group, opposition would seem to be as much about the communication and consultation process as any detriment the actual project presents;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission support forwarding SitePath Consulting Inc.’s request for a Letter of Concurrence from the CVRD Board for the development of a telecommunications tower on the property addressed as 3505 Dove Creek Road as proposed for the following reasons:
1. The 225 square metre footprint at the corner of the property is in the corner of a forage field, utilizes existing infrastructure, and is least impactful on any possible agricultural use on the property or the adjacent forested property;
2. The siting is in keeping with the Rural Comox Valley Zoning Bylaw and ALR considerations – for example, considering natural topography and conservation of environmental features and minimal impact on agriculture;
3. The proposed offers improved service which should benefit farmers and others with efficiencies and safety;
with the provision that the CVRD consider serious improvement to the consultation and public engagement process in this and all matters, in particular:
• Require the inclusion of coverage maps
• Stagger the timeline and meetings differently. The results of the public engagement event held September 16 will not be shared until the November 8 EASC meeting, hampering the advisory commission’s ability to weight the issue at hand and advise on it
o The meeting was advertised in two issues of the Comox Valley Record a month before the meeting, testing people’s memory
o The meeting was held as a virtual event which is itself a disenfranchisement as not everybody has a computer and/or internet service.
o The meeting begun at 5:00pm, which is often either a time for dinner or people are commuting home from work and unable to attend.
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  | Defeated | NAY: G. McClintock; M. Halstead, W. Prothero, C. Brown |
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M. Halstead/W. Prothero: THAT the Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission oppose SitePath Consulting Inc.’s request for a Letter of Concurrence for the following reasons:
• the majority of the residents don’t appear to be supportive in view of the evidence presented to the commission; and
• it would have a negative impact on agritourism in the area, which is significant since this is a primary agritourism corridor for Comox Valley. |
  | Carried |
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A. Burch returned to the meeting. |
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APC TIME CHANGE |
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The members reached consensus to a starting time of 7:00 pm for the Agricultural Advisory Planning Commission meetings for 2022. |
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STATUS - UPDATE ON APC RECOMMENDATIONS |
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T. Trieu, Manager of Planning Services, provided an update regarding Electoral Area Services Committee and Board decisions related to APC recommendations. |
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TERMINATION | |
B. Thompson/W. Prothero: THAT the meeting terminate. |
  | Carried |
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Time: 9:14 pm |
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| Confirmed by:
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Gerry McClintock, Chair |
| Recorded By:
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Megan Halstead, Recording Secretary |