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.