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August 15, 2016 - 6:30 PM
KAMLOOPS - Residents want to think big, according to the city.
As city administration works towards a new Official Community Plan for Kamloops, residents responded overwhelmingly that they’d like to see the city shift away from the status quo to a land use model dubbed “Think BIG” by the city, a report summarizing recent community plan feedback from the public states.
If it goes that way, the model would see the downtown core and the North Shore become more dense, with apartment buildings and increased development in flat areas. The report says so-called "complete neighbourhoods" would also be a focus, with services based in neighbourhoods to decrease car trips around town. In the transportation section, the report states walkability as something participants want to see more of in Kamloops.
The survey questions revolved around ideas suggested by the city and answers gauging the support for each. Almost every idea posed by the city had high levels of support, though municipal government participation in issues like homelessness and economic development weren’t supported as much. Most negative feedback came from community groups' independant meetings.
Ideas like protecting green space, active transportation and promoting healthy, active lifestyles were most popular.
The community plan update is now moving in to phase three, during which city staff will develop a draft version of the revised plan. It's expected by December 2016, with a period of time for public feedback starting in January 2017 according to the report. Earlier schedules had the final version of the plan expected in January 2017, but it's now expected in April 2017.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2016