If you only go to one public information meeting this fall, make it the Official Community Plan (OCP) information open house set for Wednesday (Sept. 21).
I know that for most people the thought of going to these meetings seems more painful than rolling around on glass, but this meeting is important. The OCP is long overdue and when this version is finalized it will set the tone for development in Squamish for the next five years - five years that could well be the most important years in the history of Squamish's development.
We are in the midst of a development boom. A clear vision is needed so the boom can be controlled. We need a strong OCP with a clear vision so we get smart growth and not stupid growth.
The best way to create an OCP that works for a majority of the people in the community and the developers hoping to bring new projects to Squamish is for a significant portion of the population to understand the OCP and speak up if there's something in there that doesn't make sense.
Silence is deadly in an OCP process. This key document sets out the broad objectives and policies that guide decisions on planning and land use.
Municipal Hall is about to solidify the vision and every citizen has some level of obligation to know what is planned for the community around them.
If very few people learn about the contents of the OCP, then Municipal Hall won't get much feedback on the plan. On the other hand, if participation is high our local leaders will have a good idea of how the community as a whole feels about the plan. If the plan is well received the local lawmakers will know the staff and consultants at Municipal Hall are on the right direction. If the feedback is critical, the concerns will have to be dealt with or the elected officials will face the wrath of voters.
The meeting designed to give you an opportunity to better understand where our community is headed in the near future is going to start at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the Sea to Sky Hotel. The open house will continue until 9:30 p.m.
If you don't go, you can't complain 18 months from now when development plans in your neighbourhood conflict with your vision of the area.
Postpone your plans to roll around on glass and take a few minutes to understand what the near future has in store for our little piece of paradise.
