Building Inspections in the wings for Lighthouse Country?
Seems to me we’ve been there once before
by Linda Tenney
The Regional District of Nanaimo is making noise about building inspections again but they may find that their proposed By-law Amendment, which would apply to new construction in Lighthouse Country, is akin to slapping around a wasp’s nest.
Are they ready for that?
It’s not that long ago that this same issue caused heated rallying from rural homeowners, and I have to wonder if it will ruffle feathers once again. Or have sentiments changed?
I posed the question, yeah or nay, on our EyesOnBC Facebook page to friends located in Lighthouse Country, and received scant response. Is there new thinking on the issue?
If opposition comes to the soapbox in a public forum, will the RDN simply push through the legislation in the spirit of health and safety?
The inevitable public meetings, probably this spring, should provide an interesting carnival ride. I have a feeling we should fasten our seat belts!
Upon recommendation ...
Corporate Boards are an interesting animal in the political world. It often happens that a Board of Directors will strike-off Committees, like chips from a rock, to gather “intel” about a particular project or initiative, then ask them to make recommendations back to the Board based on their findings. Funny thing is though, the majority of seats on a Committee of the Whole are generally warmed by the bums of Directors. Yup, that’s right. The same people. It’s pretty much a slam-dunk when a Committee’s recommendation goes back to the Board for approval.
Such is the case with the Regional District of Nanaimo. Its Committee of the Whole is the body recommending the By-law amendment that will require mandatory building inspections in rural areas under its jurisdiction; Lighthouse Country (Area H) being one of them.
It’s likely that the RDN’s Board of Directors will sign off on the recommendation made by the Committee, and details of the By-law amendment will be brought to public meetings later this spring. If finalized, the amended By-law will first apply to Village Centres and ‘commercial’ new construction starting October 2010, then will expand to include residential new construction starting April 2011.
Although health and safety is a primary focus of the amendment, documents available online at www.rdn.bc.ca read that the amended By-law may be driven or motivated by revenue.
One would wonder if the RDN department that shuffles the paperwork related to building inspections is slowly sinking beneath the waves and needs a steady stream of revenue to sustain it into the future?
Of course, there’s always a differing opinion. So for the other side of the coin, and the perspective of the RDN, I invite you to read RDN Director Dave Bartram’s editorial on Page 24.
The reasoning is sound and logical, but is it what Lighthouse Country homeowners will accept. Or do they really have a choice?
It remains to be seen. ~
MORE NEWS COMING
SOON
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