Accessibility Committee

Purpose

The Accessibility Committee’s purpose is to develop and present an actionable plan to Council that identifies and prioritizes opportunities for the District to enhance accessibility. The Committee is also responsible for conducting plan reviews every 18 to 24 months and providing ongoing advise to Council. In addition the Committee is tasked with developing mechanism for public input on local accessibility issues and the plan.  

Members

The Ucluelet Accessibility Committee is an advisory committee to Council composed of one Council member and four members of the public. The following individuals were appointed to the Committee by Council:   

• Councillor Ian Kennington (Chair)
• Margaret Morrison
• Scott Murray
• Mary Ruff
• Todd Smith

2024 Accessibility Committee Meeting Schedule 

Accessibility Committee Meeting Schedule - 2024

Committee Meeting Agendas

• April 24, 2024 - Regular Meeting Agenda
• January 24, 2024 - Regular Meeting Agenda
• December 13, 2023 - Regular Meeting Agenda
• November 15, 2023 - Regular Meeting Agenda
• October 4, 2023 - Regular Meeting Agenda
• September 13, 2023 - Regular Meeting Agenda
• July 25, 2023 - Regular Meeting Agenda
• July 13, 2023 - Inaugural Meeting Agenda

Related Documents

• Terms of Reference

More Information

Please contact Abby Fortune, Director of Parks & Recreation, by email afortune@uclulet.ca or by calling 250-726-7772.

Public Hearings

Under Section 464 of the Local Government Act, public hearings are generally required prior to adoption of an official community plan bylaw, a zoning bylaw, a bylaw under Section 548 or an amendment to any of these bylaws. Public hearings are scheduled to occur during Council meetings or as stand alone events. Members of the public may participate in public hearings in-person, through written submissions, by phone, and by Zoom Webinar. 

Provincial legislation now prohibits Council from holding public hearings on proposed zoning bylaws when there is an official community plan in place for the affected area, the proposed bylaw is consistent with this plan, the sole purpose of the bylaw is to permit residential development, and the residential component of the development accounts for at least half of the gross floor area of all building and other structures proposed as part of the development. Public hearings on zoning bylaws proposed for the sole purpose of complying with section 481.3 of the Local Government Act are also now prohibited.

Review related materials - The application, bylaw, and other relevant materials may be inspected at the District of Ucluelet office at 200 Main Street from the date of public notice until the Public Hearing or Council Meeting, during regular office hours (Mon. – Fri., 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. excluding holidays).

Write a submission - Drop it off at District Office at 200 Main Street, Ucluelet, BC, mail to District of Ucluelet or send it via email to communityinput@ucluelet.ca. Any submissions dropped-off or mailed to the District office, must be received before the meeting, if the hearing is scheduled to occur during a Council meeting, and before the public hearing, if the hearing is scheduled as a stand-alone event. Submissions sent by email or dropped-off at a public hearing or Council meeting may be submitted until the hearing is closed. Written submissions must contain the writer's name and address, and are considered part of the public record pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. 

Participate in-person -  Public hearings and Council meetings take place at the Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet BC.

Participate through Zoom Webinar by Telephone -  Dial in on your phone using the phone number provided below under "Zoom Details". You will need to enter the meeting ID in order to join the meeting. Note that a participant ID is NOT required. If you would like to speak, press *9 to raise your hand. Staff will unmute you when it is your turn to speak. Press *6 to unmute yourself.  Please state your name and address.

Participate through Zoom Webinar by URL - Use your Zoom compatible tablet, smart phone or computer to join the hearing or meeting by the entering the URL provided under "Zoom Details" into your browser. If you would like to speak, click the "raise your hand" icon. Staff will unmute you when it's your turn. You may also have to unmute yourself. Please state your name and address. 

More information about using Zoom is available on Zoom's website. You can also test Zoom before the meeting here.    

If you are disconnected during the meeting, please join again using the phone number or link provided. 

Public hearings are streamed live and recorded. They can be viewed on the District of Ucluelet's YouTube channel. Please note that there is up to a 60 second lag.

Upcoming Public Hearings:

There are no public hearings currently scheduled.   

Privacy

Please note that the opinions you express orally and any presentations you submit to the District will be webcast live on Zoom and on YouTube, and will be recorded to form a part of the public record. Correspondence you submit will form part of the public record and will be published on the agenda or read into the record. The District of Ucluelet considers your address relevant to this matter and will disclose this personal information as it informs Council’s consideration of your opinion in relation to the subject property, and is authorized under section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Your personal phone number and email will not be disclosed on the Agenda.  

If you have questions regarding the collection of your personal information, please contact: Joseph Rotenberg, Manager of Corporate Services, 200 Main Street, Ucluelet BC, V0R 3A0, P.O. Box 999, or email jrotenberg@ucluelet.ca. 

Alternative Approval Process (AAP)

About Alternative Approval Processes:

Under section 86 of the Community Charter, local governments, like the District of Ucluelet may use an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to directly engage citizens about a proposed bylaw or other matters requiring elector approval. An AAP allows electors to indicate that they are opposed to a local government proposal moving forward for various municipal matters such as boundary extensions, long-term borrowing, changes to municipal classification, and disposal of park land. 

An AAP allows a Council to proceed with an action unless at least ten per cent (10%) of the electors state their opposition within a prescribed period. If more than ten percent (10%) of the electors state their opposition to the proposed action, the Council may not proceed with the action without the matter being made subject to and successfully passing an assent voting (referendum).

To oppose a local government proposal which is subject to an AAP, eligible electors can submit an elector response form. These forms are made available for each individual AAP and are specific to each proposal. 

Eligibility Requirements:

Only electors of the District of Ucluelet are eligible to sign the elector response forms. There are two types of electors – resident electors and non-resident property electors.

A resident elector is an individual who is entitled to sign an elector response form during an AAP by virtue of living within that jurisdiction. When signing an elector response form, a resident elector must:

• be 18 years of age or older;
• be a Canadian citizen;
• have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months;
• be a resident of the jurisdiction;
• live in the area defined for the AAP; and,
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment from voting in a local election or be otherwise disqualified by law.

A non-resident property elector is an individual that does not live in a jurisdiction and who is entitled to sign an elector response form during an AAP by virtue of owning property in that jurisdiction. When signing an elector response form, a non-resident property elector must:

• be at least 18 years of age;
• be a Canadian citizen;
• have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months;
• be a registered owner of property in the jurisdiction for at least 30 days;
• own property in the area defined for the AAP; and,
• not be disqualified under the Local Government Act, or any other enactment from voting in a local election or be otherwise disqualified by law.

Note: Only one non-resident property elector may sign an Elector Response Form per property, regardless of how many people own the property; and, that owner must have the written consent of a majority of the other property owner(s) to sign the response form on their behalf. Property owned in whole or in part by a corporation does not qualify under the non-resident property elector provisions.

To learn more about Alternative Approval Processes visit the Province of British Columbia's website. 

Current Alternative Approval Processes

District of Ucluelet Parkland Disposal Bylaw No. 1334, 2024

Update: District of Ucluelet Parkland Dispoal Bylaw No. 1334, 2024 has received the approval of the electors. View the full results here.

Elector approval for this Bylaw was obtained through an Alternative Approval Process (AAP).  The deadline for submitting elector response forms for this AAP was March 13, 2024 at 4:00 PM.  The Bylaw received elector approval as less than 10% of the electors of the whole District of Ucluelet (173) submitted elector response forms in opposition to Council proceeding with this Bylaw without first obtaining the assent of the electors through an assent voting (referendum).  

Council will consider this Bylaw at a future Council meeting. 

About Bylaw No. 1334, 2024

The purpose of the Bylaw is to authorize the District to close a 0.201 hectare portion of parkland located in the northwest corner of Tugwell Field Park fronting Forbes Road and dispose of this closed park to the Food Bank on the Edge for $1.00.  The parkland to be closed and disposed of is outlined in bold and marked “Park to be Closed Parcel A”, on the map below:

As additional consideration for the disposition of the closed park, the District will be granted:

1. an option to re-purchase the closed Park exercisable by the District if the closed park is not used for the operation of a food bank for a consecutive period of six months, the owner fails to maintain the lands and the buildings on the land in a good state of maintenance and repair, or at any time following the 20th anniversary of registration of the option; and
2. a statutory right of way entitling the District to store equipment and goods on the closed park. 

To review the Bylaw No. 1334, 2024 click here.  

Supporting Documents 

• Elector Response Form
• District of Ucluelet Parkland Disposal Bylaw No. 1334, 2024
• Report No. 24-08
• Notice of Alternative Approval Process - Published a first time on January 31, 2024
• Notice of Alternative Approval Process - Published a second time February 7, 2024
• Non-Resident Property Elector Consent Form

Previous Alternative Approval Processes

Loan Authorization Bylaw 1304, 2022 

Loan Authorization Bylaw 1304, 2022 (the "Bylaw") has received approval of the electors and been adopted. 

To review the certification of results click here. 

For more information about the water treatment project click here. 

For more information regarding the Alternative Approval Process, please contact the District of Ucluelet’s Corporate Services department at 250-726-7744. 

Lot 13 Marine Drive Affordable Housing

About the Lot 13 - First Light Affordable Housing Project

The Lot 13 Housing Project, also known as the First Light Affordable Housing Project, is situated on Marine Drive near Brown's Beach, close to the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort. It spans between Cedar Grove Place and Rainforest Drive, with access from Marine Drive and its rear border touching the Whispering Pines manufactured home park. The property also shares boundaries with properties on Marine Drive and Rainforest Lane.

Originally designated for affordable housing by the Weyerhaeuser Corporation in 2005, Lot 13 was purchased by ACMC Holdings Ltd. and Andrew McLane. Lot 13 was zoned to allow 33 small lots where one to three-bedroom small homes will be built. Among these, 11 lots will have affordable rental homes, while the remaining 22 lots are small freehold units offered for sale under BC Housing's Affordable Home Ownership Program (AHOP). One of the homes also features a secondary suite.

BC Housing is funding the Lot 13 development through AHOP, which involves a partnership agreement with the District. In this agreement, the municipality's contributions to make the project affordable are matched by BC Housing through an interest-free second mortgage. AHOP aims to help middle-income households own homes. Eligible purchasers can buy homes priced between $365,000 and $500,000, targeting a gross household income ranging from $96,974 to $119,272.

The homes planned for construction on the lots range in size from 679 square feet to 894 square feet and will be modular constructions placed on permanent foundations. Areas adjacent to the existing park and stream corridor to the west of the site will be designated as park areas, and fencing with new landscape screening will be installed along the Marine Drive frontage.

For more information visit www.firstlightucluelet.ca.

Important Updates – Finalized Agreements

ACMC Holdings and the District of Ucluelet have successfully finalized funding agreements with BC Housing for the First Light Affordable Housing Project, marking the project's transition into the construction phase.

The project faced delays due to internal challenges and changes in legal representation at BC Housing, however with the execution of the agreements by all parties it is now moving forward. Due to the complexity of the program, tri-lateral agreements, advanced sales and affordable housing requirements it was critical to ensure that the agreements were fully supportable for all parties and that the limited number of affordable housing units were accessed by local residents within the appropriate income brackets.

BC Housing initially approved the project in June 2023, with a maximum household income of $119,272 for eligible purchasers. Between June and November, the developer accepted purchase agreements with 22 local buyers who were vetted by BC Housing as meeting program requirements. In mid-February 2024, BC Housing proposed an increased maximum household income of $191,910 in the agreement, prompting discussions between staff, the Mayor, BC Housing and the developer to finalize the agreements while honouring the original proposal and existing sales agreements.

The revised agreement allows the project to proceed with the current accepted offers. If a sale falls through, the developer must first seek a new buyer within the target income range of $96,974 to $119,272 before broadening the range to the wider AHOP program limits.

Next Steps

The next steps for the developer involve civil engineering, subdivision finalization, building permit applications, and modular home construction. First Light Affordable Housing remains a high priority project and the District will be expediting the review process for various approvals and permits so that the project can advance as quickly as possible.

The development timeline, contingent on successful coordination, could range from 12 to 18 months. The timing for completion of the subdivision works and expected availability of the new homes is largely up to the developer. This progress represents a significant step forward in ongoing efforts to enhance affordable housing options in Ucluelet. The AHOP program's success not only benefits individual homebuyers but also contributes to the overall well-being and sustainability of our community.

For more detailed information, the Staff Report to Council and live recording of the March 14, 2024 Special Council Meeting are available.

General Enquiries

Telephone: 250 726-7744
Email info@ucluelet.ca