rationale
Sustainability
What does the planning term "sustainability" actually mean? Most commonly, it is described as a three-legged stool. Each leg represents one of three fundamental elements: environmental, economic, and social well being. We see our rezoning application only as a first step toward the potential achievement of some initial sustainability on Bowen Island. The focus of our application is particularly on local employment and diversity of housing forms to retain and foster a healthy diversity in Bowen's social fabric (i.e. age, lifestyle, income, family status), while at the same time maintaining sound environmental principles and practices.
Our initial research into what type of local economy would be sustainable on Bowen Island has convinced us that Bowen Island is uniquely positioned to play a special role in the development of a vibrant culture of art and related education close to Vancouver. Comparable models of prosperous
arts- and culture-related communities can be found around the globe (with a prominent presence throughout Europe and especially Germany), where over time the combination of art and education has expanded to include health, recreation, and hospitality. Those five pillars have helped to create and maintain sustainable communities since the late 1800s.
Our "vision" or "dream" or "hope" -- or whatever term may come to mind -- is to assist in the creation of a similar sustainable community here on Bowen Island.
Past Planning Efforts for the Snug Cove Area
All past planning efforts regarding future land uses in the Snug Cove area have come to the same conclusion, namely that the most appropriate and logical location on Bowen Island for the creation of urgently needed non-market housing and local employment is within the periphery of Snug Cove. The closeness to ferry links, public and private schools, local shopping, and the future Municipal recreation/community centre will allow development concepts with an emphasis on public transit versus private car ownership.
Density Transfer
Bowen Island's Official Community Plan contemplates the possibility of transfer of density between properties.
It is a regrettable, but undeniable, fact that, without support of substantial public subsidies, non-market housing can only be created on lands of low value to keep the costs of residency and alternative uses at an affordable level.
Our proposal is that the density for residential market housing be transferred from the Parkview Slopes lands on Cates Hill to the Seymour Landing lands of Cowan Point. Because the area of Cowan Point is large relative to the number of allowed residential units, the area has a vastly over-built infrastructure (i.e. roads, water storage and distribution system, water treatment plant, sewer collection/ treatment/disposal system, single- and three-phase hydro systems, etc.). This abundance of under-utilized infrastructure makes Cowan Point an ideal recipient of transferred density.
We hope that the transfer of market housing density from Parkview Slopes to Cowan Point will achieve a residual land value at Parkview Slopes which will be modest enough to allow the construction and development of affordable housing and the creation of work places to provide local employment. For our own financial considerations, we have to assume that the loss of market housing on Cates Hill will be offset by a gain in density at Cowan Point for the creation of alternative market (and if allowed, some non-market) housing there.