Official Community Plan

C

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Objective 4 The urban forest is healthy and growing towards a 34-40% canopy cover target

Policies

NE 21

Continue annual planting targets of 300 new trees on public land and work towards 850 new trees on private land until 2040. Continue to regulate tree removal, and ensure replacement, through the use of the Tree Protection and Management Bylaw. Continue to integrate City trees, forests, and green infrastructure into asset management planning, including budgeting, policy development, and staff resourcing.

NE 22

NE 23

NE 24

Implement the Urban Forest Strategy plan, manage, protect, grow and partner actions.

Objective 5 Development practices meet ecosystem health and site adaptive design objectives

Policies

NE 25

Enact Zoning Bylaw requirements to avoid impact to sensitive ecosystems, including but not limited to: a Cluster housing zones to allow for a tighter grouping of homes on the most buildable portions of the property in exchange for retaining larger portions of the land in a natural state, and allowing the owner(s) of land containing Environmentally Sensitive Areas 1 to use the original site area in computing density allowances, in accordance with the Zoning Bylaw ; b Density bonusing in exchange for increased nature protection or restoration ; and c Limiting the extent of impervious surfaces. Ensure connectivity of properties and landscapes to support ecosystem processes. This includes incorporating considerations such as wildlife movement and historical hydrological patterns into the development proposal including transportation and utility corridors. Require all development proposals on properties equal to or greater than 4,000 metres square in size to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment to determine the presence or absence of Environmentally Sensitive Areas.

NE 26

NE 27

1 Known terrestrial and aquatic Environmentally Sensitive Areas within Courtenay's boundaries are shown respectively on Maps APX-6 and APX-7 (Appendix 2 - Maps).

PART C Thematic Policies