This report relates to the business of the Salt Spring Local Trust Committee (LTC), which is made up of the two local trustees and an appointed chair. The LTC’s responsibilities include regulating the development and use of land within the Salt Spring Local Trust Area, which includes Salt Spring Island and more than 25 associated islands including Prevost, Secret, and Piers islands.

The LTC will hold a special electronic meeting on October 1st beginning at 1:30 PM to address several business items. As with all of our meetings, it is open to the public and the meeting link and agenda are available on the Islands Trust website.

Our next regular meeting will be on October 10th beginning at 9:30 AM. This will also be an electronic meeting that is open to the public, and a meeting link and agenda will be available on October 4th on the Islands Trust website. Office staff are available to help should you have questions about getting to our meetings or viewing them on-line. Please call 250-538-9144 or email ssiinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca for support.

We welcome you to ask questions or make comments during the “Town Hall and Questions” period at the beginning of our October 10th regular meeting (at approximately 9:30 AM).

The following summarizes the meeting highlights from the LTC’s September 12th meeting. For the official record and for more details, please refer to the minutes and/or view recordings of the meeting.

At the September 12th meeting the following decisions were made related to land use applications. We:

Approved a development variance permit application SS-DVP-2024.5 (860 Sunset Drive) to vary the required setback to the natural boundary of the sea for seven structures to between 2.1 and 9.4 metres.
Approved a development permit application SS-DP-2021.4 (270 Furness Road) for a new dwelling and four-plex subject to the collection of a landscaping security deposit of $89,662.50.
Approved a development variance permit application SS-DVP-2021.22 (270 Furness Road) to vary a setback from the interior side lot line from 3.0 metres to 0.47 metres for an existing rock wall.
Approved a development variance permit application PLDVP20240088 (166 Rainbow Road) to vary the front lot line setback from 7.5 metres to 5.2 metres and to vary the interior side lot line setback from 6.0 metres to 0.8 metres to accommodate the temporary tent installed at Windsor Plywood after a fire destroyed the original operations building. This became a necessary step to facilitate their building permit application.
Approved a development variance permit application SS-DVP-2024.3 (230 Smith Road) to vary the front lot line setback from 7.5 metres to 2.34 metres to accommodate proposed alterations and additions to an existing single-family dwelling.
Gave first readings to Bylaw No. 538 and Bylaw No. 539. These are proposed amendments to Official Community Plan and the Land Use Bylaws to rezone the Vesuvius Ferry Terminal upland and marine areas. The proposed amendments aim to bring the terminal into compliance with the current land use regulations and allow BC Ferries to proceed with redevelopment of the terminal. First reading introduces the bylaw and, at this stage, we requested staff to refer the proposed bylaws to our Advisory Planning Commission and to other agencies, organizations and First Nations for comment. We also provided the proposed bylaws to the Salt Spring Ferry Advisory Committee for information. We requested the applicant to submit a report from a qualified environmental professional on the following: Conservation Assessment; Site Impact Assessment; Impact Mitigation Measures; Monitoring Requirements; and Restoration Assessment. We also requested a professionally certified opinion that, if the development is implemented as proposed, there will be no harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of environmentally valuable features, functions and conditions. Before these proposed bylaws can be adopted, they require second and third readings, a public hearing, approval from the Islands Trust Executive Committee and approval from the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
Approved issuance of Heritage Alteration Permit PLHAP20240142 (116 Hereford Ave) to allow restoration for the Salt Spring Island Linen & Drycleaners building which was damaged in a fire.
Accepted a Section 219 Covenant (water treatment system) for subdivision application SS-SUB-2021.3 (150 Margolin Drive).

In other actions taken at the regular September 12th meeting we:
Requested staff to work with and support water and wastewater infrastructure service agencies to seek opportunities to develop appropriate policies that prioritize connections for housing that match community values and needs.
Rescinded third reading of Bylaw 537 (accessory dwelling units) and referred the bylaw to the Tsawout First Nation for review and comment.
Gave Repeal Bylaw 540 first and second reading. This repeal bylaw is necessary step to discharge the housing agreement at 584 Rainbow Road.
Requested staff to evaluate whether the provincial housing needs assessment methodology should be supplemented to improve the usefulness of the housing needs assessment being prepared for Salt Spring Island under a Trust Council project.
Requested staff to provide an update to the LTC on the suitable land analysis work.

Your local trustees are always willing to sit down with you and island community organizations or businesses to understand what matters most to you and to talk to you about the work of the Islands Trust. Contact information: Laura Patrick lpatrick@islandstrust.bc.ca or call 250-538-8170; Jamie Harris jharris@islandstrust.bc.ca or call 250-530-9663.