Land use issues are among the toughest for municipal governments to handle. They must maintain a delicate balance between public input and professional opinion. An upcoming public forum will tackle the myriad of issues involving land development when UVic's Eco-Research Chair of Environment Law and Policy presents "Greater Victoria Land Use Forum: Victoria the Good?" on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in the F. Murray Fraser Auditorium (formerly Begbie 159), a presentation of the Dermot Murphy Lecture Series. Prof. Michael M'Gonigle (Law) will moderate the forum.
Four panelists-Oak Bay Mayor Diana Butler, Saanich planner Alan Hopper, Real Estate Council of B.C. Chair Ken Henderson and former MLA and now Association for the Protection of Metchosin member Frank Mitchell-will discuss the conflicts that arise around zoning and the complex approval processes required for land development. They'll examine the many ethical issues that surround these debates, including: should rezoning be considered an exceptional procedure; should one community consider the impact its planning procedure has on neighbouring communities; and, should a proposal meeting all zoning criteria still require public approval.
Admission to the forum is free but reservations are required. To reserve a seat, please contact Susan Recksiedler at 604-291-5079 or fax at 604-291-5098 or by email at Susan-Recksiedler@sfu.ca.
The Dermot Murphy Lecture Series is sponsored by the Real Estate Foundation
of B.C. and co-sponsored by the Eco-Research Chair in Environmental Law
and Policy, UVic's Faculty of Law and Environmental Studies Program, and
The City Program at Simon Fraser University.