Following a June 16, 2014 letter from the Friends of Maple Pool, representatives from the City of Courtenay and the Friends of Maple Pool met on July 17 to discuss possible resolutions to the land-use and safety issues at the Maple Pool Campground. Subsequently, Courtenay City Council met on August 5 to discuss the proposal from the Friends of Maple Pool.

Acting Mayor Bill Anglin has now responded to the Friends of Maple Pool on behalf of Courtenay City Council. A copy of the letter, which includes extensive details of proposed commitments by the City, the Friends of Maple Pool, and the Maple Pool property owners and residents, is available here:

• August 6, 2014 Response to "Friends of Maple Pool" Proposal [PDF - 2.3 MB]

“We appreciate the efforts of the Friends of Maple Pool to find workable solutions to the concerns at the site,” said Anglin. “We felt the meeting was productive and represented a positive step forward towards eventually resolving this issue.”

Many ideas and options were discussed. While the City is required by law to follow provincial and federal regulations and processes in searching for solutions, there are some areas where compromise is possible. The City is willing to use its discretion in these instances to make a workable solution more attainable.

The letter spells out the process and requirements to bring the Maple Pool Campground into compliance with zoning and other regulations, including, in part:

• Council’s willingness to proceed with a unilateral rezoning application and public hearing, which would eliminate any rezoning application costs by the applicant
• A commitment by Council to suspend legal action until the new year to allow the Friends of Maple Pool, the property owners, and residents, to pursue their part of the agreement
• A commitment by the Friends of Maple Pool to either meet flood construction and provincial guidelines, or provide a report from a certified engineer “that the land may be used safely for the use intended”
• A solution to controlling flood currents that meets municipal and provincial requirements
• An affordable housing covenant which restricts rent increases at the campsite to the level of inflation, except under circumstances beyond the property owners’ control
• A covenant which waives the City’s liability in the event of a flood, as well as sufficient insurance by the property owners to cover flood losses, and waivers of liability from each resident 
• A commitment by the property owners to ensure residential units meet minimum safety standards, either through the BC Building Code or CSA Standards for residential use

The City hopes that by spelling out all of the prerequisites in detail, all sides will have a clear understanding of the steps required to move this issue forward.