Community Consultation to Date

Immediate Neighbours Meeting I (October 2008):
Written invitations to attend a neighbourhood meeting at Longlands Golf Course clubhouse were extended to 241 households within a 1 km radius of the site. The intent of this meeting was to identify key community values prior to the commencement of site planning and design, and to understand from a community perspective those features that make Longlands, and the associated neighbourhood, special to its residents. The development team shared the project mandate of establishing open and effective communication early in the development process with the 75 neighbours who attended. In addition, a number of the scientific studies being concurrently undertaken were discussed, followed by an open dialogue in which people could ask questions and make comments;

Extended Neighbours Meeting I (November 2008):
Written invitations to this meeting held at Mark Isfeld Senior Secondary School in Courtenay were extended to 860 “extended neighbours” within a 2 km radius of the Longlands site. A brief slideshow presentation that outlined the data collection and integrated design process being concurrently undertaken was made, followed by a “break out” session in which the 70 attendees were able to ask questions of the Longlands development team positioned at a number of stations distributed around the room;

Environmental Stakeholders’ Meeting (November 2008):
Written invitations to this meeting held at the Black Fin Conference Room in Comox were extended to 114 people, including CVRD Area Directors and their alternates, CVRD staff, Courtenay and Comox Council members and staff, representatives of ther Komoks First Nation, and representatives of 20 government and non-government environmental agencies and groups. Technical presentations were made to the 30 attendees by the project team’ landscape architect, arborist, biologist and geologist relating to environmental studies concurrently underway, which was followed by a “break out” questions and answer period;

K'ómoks First Nation Consultation (February 2009):
An informal meeting was held at the K'ómoks First Nations band office at 3220 Comox Road, Comox with their Band Manager, Melinda Knox. The purpose of the meeting was to ascertain how the Band would like to be consulted as the Longlands project advances, whether the Band may have any direct interest in, or special concerns relating to, the subject lands;

Comox Valley Environmental Council Meeting (April 2009):
A verbal presentation was made this non-profit organisation, which acts as an “umbrella” body for 18 local environmental stakeholders groups and municipal / regional government representatives, at their regular monthly meeting at CVRD’s municipal offices in Courtenay, BC. A summary of environmental data collected to date was presented to the meeting’s 30 attendees, with a lengthy follow-up discussion regarding Island Coastal Ventures proposals for the preservation and/or restoration of the site’s existing aquatic features, fisheries habitat creation opportunities, and future golf course operational commitments;

Preliminary Regulatory Meetings with CVRD (May 2009):
Three formal meetings with CVRD staff (Planning, Engineering, and Parks divisions) were held at CVRD’s municipal offices in Courtenay, BC. The purpose of these meetings were to introduce CVRD staff to the Longlands developments proposed architectural and open space designs, and to discuss how the project engineering team intended to service the development using an integrated water management strategy based primarily on water conservation and on-site reuse of wastewater streams;

Public Information Session: Sustainable Development Presentation (May 2009):
Joe Van Belleghem, a private consultant to the Longlands project who spearheaded the first LEEDTM Platinum project in Canada - Dockside Green in Victoria - gave a slideshow presentation to a group of about 40 attendees at the Longlands Golf Course clubhouse in Comox. The purpose of this presentation was to inform the general public about how the Dockside Green project vision was conceptualised and successfully implemented using the “triple bottom line (3BL)” approach of socially responsible, environmentally sound, and economically viable project management. Following the presentation, a lengthy “break-out” question and answer session allowed the audience to quiz Mr. Van Belleghem on the finer details of sustainable development, including whether such an approach was transferable to the Comox Valley region and if Dockside Green’s “green” vision, innovative management style, and inclusive public consultation strategies will be adopted on the Longlands project;

Extended Neighbours Meeting II (June 2009):
Written invitations to this meeting held at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay were extended to over 900 households within a 2 km radius of the Longlands property. A comprehensive slideshow presentation was delivered to the audience of about 50 people, which detailed the planning and design process to date and presented the development proposal. This presentation was followed by a “break-out” session during which members of the public were encouraged to query the project’s consulting team regarding their areas of technical responsibility, and to comment on the development’s proposed architectural plans – including building and open space form and character; and

Immediate Neighbours Meeting II (August 2009):
Written invitations to attend a neighbourhood meeting at the Longlands Gold Course clubhouse were extended to 16 households located on streets in close proximity to the northeast side of the Longlands property (Galleon Way, Schooner Place, and Clipper Place). The purpose of this meeting was to establish one-on-one relationships with these neighbours, which included offers to individually tour the site and engage in candid discussions with the Island Coastal Ventures directors and consultant team members about their concerns. In particular, issues concerning potential access to the site through Galleon Way, as well as the future use of proposed parkland and recreational facilities adjacent to their properties, were reviewed with all respondents in detail. This intimate level on consultation enabled the design team to incorporate modifications to the design of the development’s proposed external access and internal road networks that would appease the concerns of these homeowners.

Public and regulatory agency comments collected during these meetings have consistently centred on a number of common themes. A tabulated summary of these concerns, all of which have all been given careful consideration by the planning and design team in the preparation of the final development proposal, is presented here.