Letter to the editor

The Windermere Community Association (WCA) is asking the Ministry of Housing & Municipal Affairs to investigate the RDEK’s handling of the rezoning process for Bylaws No. 3353 and No. 3354. 

This rezoning would permit a 131-unit multifamily development, increasing Windermere’s population by 50 per cent and more than doubling the current zoning, which only allows 56 units. 

Concerns such as the capacity for water and sewage disposal, adding traffic to the already unsafe access from Windermere to Highway 93/95, and the impact of adding to the already crowded Windermere beach were dismissed. 

We were told they would be dealt with at the subdivision stage in the planning process. 

Unfortunately, subdivision approvals are done by the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), where there is no public input. 

The RDEK only gave the public three business days to submit comments on the application and to register to attend the January 29 public hearing. 

The deadlines in the notice in the Columbia Valley Pioneer on January 23 were confusing, leading to submissions (including the WCA) being rejected. Residents also faced barriers to attending the public hearing via Zoom due to outdated pre-registration rules. In-person public hearings only require registration at the door. 

The developer held an open house in December. The mayor of Invermere (an RDEK director) and the Area F director expressed support for the project in the January 16 edition of the Pioneer. This was before the public hearing and listening to the community’s concerns. 

The Advisory Planning Committee, made up of local residents, recommended the refusal of the application. Finally, the RDEK makes it almost impossible to make a presentation to the RDEK Planning & Development Services Committee and board meetings. 

The deadline for the public to request to speak at either meeting is noon on the Wednesday before the meetings. These are held on the following Thursday and Friday. Ironically, their agendas are not posted on the RDEK website until the Friday before the meetings. 

The RDEK may say it is following the legal process, but does that make it right? Our elected officials have the authority to do the right thing before Windermere is forced to deal with the consequences of their quick decision-making. 

The rezoning will be discussed at the planning meeting on February 13 and the board meeting on February 14. We encourage residents to stay informed and demand a fair, transparent process. To attend the meetings via Zoom go to: https://www.rdek.bc.ca/meetings_events/agendas 

Andrea Dunlop, president, 

Windermere Community 

Association