The City of Kimberley is undertaking a housing-focused review and update of its Official Community Plan (OCP) and two Zoning Bylaws. As these plans provide important direction on the future of our community, we need your input to help shape Kimberley's future. This webpage will serve as a central part of community engagement during the OCP review process.

This review builds on the 2021 Housing Needs Report and the 2024 Interim Housing Needs Report, which were developed to meet Provincial requirements. View these reports under the Document Library section of this webpage. The City Kimberley OCP and Zoning Bylaws can be found on the City's Community Planning webpage.

Drafts of proposed amendments to the OCP and Zoning Bylaw 1850 were presented to Council on September 8th, and staff are now seeking community comments on the proposed amendments. Please take a moment to review the proposed amendments, available under the Document Library section of this web page and compare them with the existing copies of the OCP and Zoning Bylaw, which are linked above.

The most potentially impactful proposed amendments focus on a few specific policy areas.

Proposed amendments to the OCP include:

  • Vision statement language enhancements with a focus on inclusive housing and connection to the natural environment
  • Large parcel neighbourhood plan requirements for development proposals and subdivisions to ensure alignment with OCP and other City policies
  • Accessible unit requirements for multiple unit developments

Proposed amendments to Zoning Bylaw 1850 include:

  • Edits to the Group Home definition and allowing it as a principal use in most residential zones
  • A new Community Commercial use is proposed to allow for the creation of accessory commercial units in the RS and RM (R-3) zones
  • Removal of multiple unit dwellings as a principal use from the C-1 zone
  • The proposed amendments also contain multiple minor edits and housekeeping amendments throughout. Any edits not mentioned here or on the staff report (available in the Document Library) are considered housekeeping or minor in nature

Please take a moment to review the proposed amendments and provide feedback using the survey provided below.

Draft OCP and Zoning Bylaw Amendments Town Hall

A community Town Hall will be held on Thursday, October 2nd at Centennial Hall from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. This event will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about proposed changes, ask questions, and share feedback directly with City staff.

An OCP is a comprehensive plan that details the overall values of a community by creating a long-term vision of growth and development. OCPs provide policy direction for the community and assist elected officials (City Council) during decision making processes. The City of Kimberley's OCP was adopted in 2018.

A Zoning Bylaw is a municipal bylaw that controls land use, or what is allowable on a given parcel in terms of use (i.e. residential, commercial, industrial) and building form (i.e. building height or size, location of buildings on a parcel, etc.). The City of Kimberley has two zoning bylaws, one that covers the alpine resort area (Zoning Bylaw 2016) and one that covers all other areas of the City (Zoning Bylaw 1850).

The City is undertaking the current Official Community Plan (OCP) update process in response to new provincial requirements introduced in 2023 related to housing provision. Bill 44 – 2023 Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 requires all municipalities in BC to follow prescribed housing needs assessment report guidelines that must be integrated into OCPs and Zoning Bylaws by December 31, 2025.

While the main focus of this review process will remain on housing, several housing adjacent aspects of the plans will also be reviewed. The policies that are being prioritized for review during this process include:

  • Housing Needs report integration including analysis to ensure sufficient lands designated to accommodate the identified housing need
  • Policies affecting housing in commercial nodes and mixed-use developments
  • Policies affecting home-based businesses and small-scale neighbourhood-oriented commercial uses in residential areas, and
  • Review of Development Permit Area Guidelines.

With the limited timeline of this review and its main focus on housing related issues there will be minimal opportunity to consider non-housing related issues. The Provincial legislation requiring this review also requires updates to OCPs and Zoning Bylaws once every five years. The next required review will need to be completed by 2030, however, the City retains the ability to conduct a review of its OCP and Zoning Bylaws at any time. Following this review process, staff will look to Council for direction on when to proceed with the next OCP/Zoning Bylaw review, which will likely have a focus on commercial, industrial, and recreation lands of Kimberley.
Ideas and concerns regarding issues outside of the scope of this process will be recorded and saved for future OCP/Zoning Bylaw review processes.

Do you have any ideas that can help the City meet its housing needs?

Provide any ideas you have that may be helpful in developing housing to meet the needs of existing and/or future Kimberley residents.