Community Options Survey

The District of Lake Country is reviewing its Official Community Plan (OCP). This plan will shape how our community grows and develops over the next 20 years. This survey asks for your feedback on a set of Proposed Directions and Community Options that guide how Lake Country could grow in the future. Your input will help shape the updated OCP.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Your feedback will be recorded and summarized in a report made available to the public and shared with council.

Survey participants are eligible for a $50 weekly prize or a $100 grand prize gift certificate to a local business of your choosing.
For further information on the OCP review, please visit the dedicated project website www.letsgrowlakecountry.ca and sign up for project updates and additional opportunities to participate.

PLANNING PRINCIPLES

These draft Planning Principles highlight what matters most to the community and will help guide decisions as the Official Community Plan is updated. They were developed using feedback from Phase 1 engagement, along with direction from Lake Country’s existing OCP. Together, they outline the big ideas and priorities that should shape how the community grows, what should be protected, and what needs improvement. These principles will continue to be refined with community input and will guide policies, land use choices, and future actions throughout the OCP.

Stewardship of Land, Lakes & Natural Systems	Managed and Sustainable Growth	A Vibrant & Distinct Town Centre	Connected & Safe Mobility
Protect the natural beauty, lakes, and rural landscapes that define Lake Country. Prioritize environmental health, watershed protection, and climate resilience and adaptation through responsible land use, green infrastructure, and stewardship partnerships.	Guide growth deliberately, focusing new development in serviced urban areas while safeguarding farmland and rural character. Ensure that infrastructure, services, and amenities keep pace with population and housing demands.	Strengthen the Town Centre as the social and economic heart of the community. Encourage mixed-use development, local shops and restaurants, and walkable public spaces that reflect Lake Country’s small-town identity.	Strengthen the Town Centre as the social and economic heart of the community. Encourage mixed-use development, local shops and restaurants, and walkable public spaces that reflect Lake Country’s small-town identity.

Housing Diversity and Affordability	Local Economy and Employment	Community Well-Being, Recreation and Culture	Civic Trust, Engagement & Transparency
Support a full range of attainable and multi-generational housing options. Promote compact, well-designed neighbourhoods that provide opportunities for families, seniors, and local workers to remain in the community.	Strengthen Lake Country’s economic resilience through local business development, light industry, and sustainable tourism. Support a diversified tax base by encouraging small business growth, agri-tourism, and local employment opportunities that reduce reliance on commuting and reinforce the community's rural and cultural identity.	Enhance quality of life through access to parks, recreation, arts, and cultural opportunities. Invest in gathering spaces, trails, and community facilities that foster health, connection, and civic pride, celebrating Lake Country’s small-town character and sense of belonging.	Foster open, collaborative governance and ongoing community dialogue. Ensure de

PROPOSED DIRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY OPTIONS

The next set of questions addresses Proposed Directions and Community Options and is organized into categories based on the Planning Principles outlined in the previous question.

Proposed Directions – These are proposed actions that staff believe are the most practical approach based on technical analysis, policy requirements, or existing conditions.

Community Options – Community Options show different ways Lake Country could grow by adjusting land use and building heights to improve housing choice, affordability, and a more vibrant Town Centre; your feedback will help determine the best path forward.

For both Proposed Directions and Community Options, please let us know your level of support for each item and share any changes or suggestions. Your input will help shape policies in the updated OCP.

Stewardship of Land, Lakes, and Natural Systems

This principle focuses on protecting Lake Country’s natural systems while preparing for a changing climate.
For more information, please see the ADAPT Backgrounder.

Proposed Directions:
1. Revise environmental and land use policies to support existing and emerging initiatives, including watershed assessments, terrestrial inventories, and climate change adaptation planning.

2. Update the Wildland Fire Development Permit Area guidelines, including mapping and technical guidance.

3. Update policy language to strengthen climate resilience and environmental protection in rural areas of the community.

Managed and Sustainable Growth

This principle is about making sure growth happens in the right places and in a way that the community can support.
For more information, please see the LIVE, MOVE, and GROW Backgrounders.

Proposed Directions:

1. Identify lands for future urban development by:

• Responding to housing needs and recent community development activity
• Aligning growth areas with existing servicing or future servicing plans
• Coordinating future land use designations and zoning
• Supporting Council’s strategic objectives
• Correcting OCP mapping errors and omissions

2. Update guidance for long-term growth by:

• Introducing a Land Reserve designation for lands intended for future development (residential, commercial, industrial, etc) beyond the 20-year planning horizon
• Review and update requirements for OCP amendment applications, including requested changes to the Urban Containment Boundary, and future land use designations

3. Update land use policy and Development Permit Areas (DPAs) to transition between higher and lower density areas by:

• Examining Agricultural DPA guidelines to ensure that development setbacks and buffers on non-farm properties protect agricultural lands and allow development to occur that is consistent with the needs of the community.
• Evaluating Form and Character DPA guidelines to ensure, where adjacent future land use designations differ (e.g. lower density Rural Residential, and higher density Mixed Use Commercial), that higher density development is designed to reduce the height or size of buildings (stepping back upper storeys of taller buildings) next to properties with lower permitted density

A Vibrant and Distinct Town Centre

This principle is about strengthening the Town Centre as the heart of the community, a lively place to live, shop, work, and gather.
For more information, please see the LIVE and WORK Backgrounders.

Proposed Directions:

1. Support a strong and active Town Centre by:

• Tailoring Town Centre policy, including development density, to encourage and incentivize residential, mixed-use, and commercial development that meets the evolving needs of the community.
• Ensuring that redevelopment of the Town Centre is supported by and consistent with OCP principles and associated policy, including environmental, mobility, employment, housing, and culture.

Connected and Safe Mobility

This principle focuses on creating a transportation system that is safe, efficient, and easy to use for everyone.
For more information, please see the MOVE Backgrounder.

Proposed Directions:

1. Incorporate Mobility Master Plan policies and concepts into the OCP, including the modal hierarchy*, and mobility targets.

2. Prioritize continued transportation network improvements, including active transportation in the Town Centre, safe routes to school, and trail network enhancements consistent with the Mobility Master Plan, OCP principles, and the future needs of the community.

3. Advocate for funding from senior levels of government to make strategic upgrades to the transportation network a regional priority.

4. Develop local and regional transit to increase ridership through improved levels of service.

*Modal hierarchy is a priority (high to low) ranking of forms of transportation: walking, transit, cycling, high-occupancy vehicles, goods movement and single-occupancy vehicles

Housing Diversity and Housing Affordability

This principle is about making sure Lake Country has a mix of housing options that meet the needs of the community.
For more information, please see the LIVE Backgrounder.

Proposed Directions:

Support housing development to meet the community’s future needs by:

1. Reviewing the permitting process (development and building permits) for and regulation (zoning) of housing developments to improve project evaluation, timelines, and outcomes.

2. Focusing on the future development of a comprehensive Housing Strategy, including a review of legislative tools to encourage the delivery of housing for families, seniors, students, and other underserved populations.

3. Coordinating land use and infrastructure planning to support growth consistent with OCP priorities and community needs.

4. Advocating for funding from and partnerships with senior levels of government to develop traditional forms of market and non-market housing; partner with non-profit organizations, government agencies, or regional governments to increase the supply of needed housing in the community.

Local Economy and Employment

This principle is about supporting a strong local economy with jobs, services, and businesses that meet community needs.
For more information, please see the WORK Backgrounder.

Proposed Directions:

1. Support the development of the Lake Country Business Park; strengthen the community’s economic resilience by expanding and diversifying the commercial / industrial tax base in emerging locations consistent with adjacent land uses.

2. Introduce a Neighbourhood Commercial designation that:

• Allows limited commercial development serving local residents and at a neighbourhood scale
• Complements and supports the Town Centre
• Encourages both commercial and residential uses

3. Incorporate policies from the Agriculture Plan into the OCP; update Agricultural land use policy to support small-scale agriculture, including agri-tourism; on-site processing and sales; and opportunities for agricultural intensification and modernization.

Community Well-Being, Recreation and Culture

This principle is about supporting the places and services that contribute to community health, connection, and quality of life.
For more information, please see the GROW and CONNECT & PLAY Backgrounders.

Proposed Directions:

1. Create an arts and culture policy section in the OCP. Explore themes described in public engagement in the development of cultural policy and policy throughout the OCP.

2. Update parks and recreation policies with existing strategic planning documents detailing current and proposed initiatives.

Civic Trust, Engagement, and Transparency

This principle is about building trust through clear communication, open decision-making, and strong relationships.
For more information, please see the GROW Backgrounder.

Proposed Directions:

1. Develop an implementation plan to help action OCP policy; develop a monitoring plan, including annual reporting, to measure progress toward long term planning goals.

2. Establish regular liaison meetings between staff and neighbourhood groups from Carr’s Landing, Okanagan Centre, Oyama, and Winfield.

3. Continue to strengthen the relationship with First Nations in the spirt of reconciliation.

Community Options

Community Options presents different ways Lake Country could grow and evolve in the future. Each option explores how changes to land use, building heights, and housing forms could help increase housing choice and affordability, support a more vibrant Town Centre, and focus growth in the most appropriate areas. These options give the community a chance to compare approaches, understand the trade-offs, and help determine which direction best reflects Lake Country’s needs and values. Your input on these choices will help shape the updated OCP and guide how the community grows over time.

Community Option 1a
Within areas designated for traditional single family, duplex, and town homes:

• Allow up to three-storey buildings inside the urban containment boundary when connected to municipal services (e.g., water and sanitary sewer) consistent with provincial legislation.

Community Option 1b
Within areas designated for traditional single family, duplex, and town homes:

• Allow up to four-storey buildings inside the urban containment boundary when connected to municipal services, but step back the fourth storey (to reduce building height), adjacent to Agricultural or Rural-designated lands.

Community Option 2

Permit density bonusing* in exchange for affordable housing or amenities:

• Allow additional building height in areas throughout the community identified for higher-density development (e.g. High Density Residential, Mixed-Use Commercial)

*Density bonusing is a planning tool that allows developments to be built with more units or additional height in exchange for providing community benefits such as affordable housing, amenities, or public improvements.

Community Option 3

Within the Town Centre area:

• Allow up to six storeys in areas identified for higher-density development (e.g. High Density and Mixed-Use Commercial land use designations).

Community Option 4

Within and between the Town Centre and Woodsdale areas:

• Allow up to six storeys in areas identified for higher-density development (e.g. High Density Residential, Mixed-Use Commercial) along principal transportation corridors, including Highway 97, Bottom Wood Lake Road, Okanagan Centre Road East, Beaver Lake Road, and Woodsdale Road.

Community Option 5

Along boundaries between land uses that support higher / lower development densities:

• Step back upper storeys of buildings in areas permitting urban development (High Density, Mixed-Use Commercial) adjacent to lands designated to support lower development density (Urban Residential, Agricultural or Rural-designated lands).

Thank you and final thoughts

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey!

Thank you for participating in the Community Options Survey!
Once all responses are collected, the Planning team will share the outcomes with Council and residents.
Please stay updated at www.letsgrowlakecountry.ca