In his introduction to Revelstoke’s Official Community Plan (OCP), adopted in July of 2009, Mayor David Raven makes a promise: “This is not a ‘whatever will be, will be’ plan, for the future is ours to see.”

The mission now: Enable the OCP’s forward-looking vision, goals and policies with a regulatory approach that will ensure their implementation.

“What we were able to do in our OCP was to establish key principles to guide our growth and redevelopment,” said Revelstoke planning director John Guenther. “That step had to come first. We had to say: ‘This is who we are. And this is how we intend to grow into our future.’

“With that foundation established, we’re ready for the next phase, which is to embed our guiding principles into a legal framework,” said Guenther. “That’s what this process is all about.”

This process is a collaborative one, partnering City officials and staff, Revelstoke citizens and stakeholders, and an international consulting team.

The main event is an intensive, multi-day, collaborative public workshop called a charrette (see video), June 8-11. Out of the workshop will come the essential elements of a new Unified Development Bylaw (UDB).

“Just as we developed the principles in the OCP together as a community, we’ll take this next big step together, as well,” said Guenther. “With the OCP to guide us, we can now focus on exactly what we need in the new bylaw to get us where we want to go. Citizens will have a good idea of what will be in that new bylaw by the end of our June charrette.”

For background on the goals that will set the charrette agenda, go right to the source – the OCP. You can read the complete OCP here (4mb .pdf). Many of the goals fall under these broad mandates:

> Recognize and honor Revelstoke’s unique heritage, both in terms of the natural environment and our architectural traditions.

> Assure community affordability for a broad range of incomes and life stages.

> Maintain inclusiveness and transparency in all community planning processes.

> Align local goals for sustainability – environmentally, socially, and economically – with global goals.

> “Act locally/think globally.”