Editor:
Re: Streamlining Fire Flow Variances – Coast Reporter March 29.
Fire protection and house insurance premiums were a topic of discussion at the May 31, 2023 Sechelt council meeting involving the Sechelt Fire Chief and regional district staff. At that time, the regional district believed that there was sufficient water pressure for fire protection. Now, only a few months later, Sechelt staff are advising council that there are active development applications that cannot proceed as the minimum fire flow demands cannot be met (March 20, 2024 council meeting).
The solution proposed is to reduce the minimum fire flow requirement via a Development Variance Permit (DVP) – not to delay developments until the water supply is sufficient to meet minimum fire flow thresholds. Staff presented an amendment to the Subdivision and Development Bylaw that would enable the chief building inspector and the approving officer to grant variances to fire flows – without any public process, or the knowledge of council itself.
Even if a reduction in minimum fire flow demands was acceptable (for whatever reasons), is such a delegation valid under the province’s enabling legislation?
Section 498 .1 of the Local Government Act enables the delegation of DVPs to staff. However, the variances must be minor in nature and are specified to relate to minor zoning issues that include the siting, size and dimensions of buildings and structure, parking, signs, landscaping and screening. Due to these limitations, there is no public notification process required.
DVPs issued by council require a public notification process as they can be much broader in scope with potentially larger impacts. Included in the list for council are variances to a bylaw relating to subdivision and development requirements.
Councillor Dianne McLauchlan has stated that since water is so critical an issue, it should come before council as politicians are more accountable for district decisions than are staff. Provincial legislation in the form of the Local Government Act supports her viewpoint.
Judy Skogstad, Sechelt
