Official Community Plan

The Official Community Plan - OCP (PDF) is one of the Town’s most important documents and is essential to planning for future growth and development within Comox. It establishes community objectives and broad policy statements to guide Council’s decisions about land use, zoning and development. It sets forth a 20-year vision for the Town that includes the approximate location, type and density of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional development. The OCP also includes policies related to social needs, environmental protection and affordable housing.

In 2009, the Town of Comox launched a comprehensive process to develop a new OCP. The Town worked with lead consultant Arlington Group and partners including Diamond Head Consulting, Sustainability Solutions Group, and Koers & Associates Engineering Ltd. The process included extensive public consultation and various technical and background reports.

Official Community Plans are essential to planning for future growth and development within the Town of Comox. It sets forth a 20-year vision for the Town, establishing community objectives and broad statements of policy to guide Council’s decisions about land use, zoning, and development.

The current Town of Comox OCP, adopted in 2011, is the result of a comprehensive process that began in 2009. This process included a number of technical and background reports and a broad program of public consultation that culminated in Town Council’s adoption of a new Official Community Plan Bylaw in July of 2011.

In British Columbia, a local government must ensure that its OCP is consistent with a larger Regional Growth Strategy, which is a planning document that sets forth a vision for land use and growth for an entire regional district. Since the Town of Comox is located within the Comox Valley Regional District, its OCP must be consistent with the development and growth patterns found in the CVRD Regional Growth Strategy.

The Town of Comox OCP contains the following:

Approximate location, amount, type and density of residential development required to meet anticipated housing needs over a period of at least five years;
Approximate location, amount and type of present and proposed commercial, industrial, institutional, agricultural and recreational land uses;
Restrictions on the use of land subject to hazardous conditions or identified as environmentally sensitive;
Approximate location and phasing of any major road, sewer and water systems;
Approximate location and type of present and proposed public facilities, including schools parks and waste treatment sites;
Policies with respect to affordable, rental and special needs housing;
Targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and policies and actions proposed with respect to achieving those targets.

An OCP also may also contain:

Policies relating to social needs, social well-being and social development;
Policies to maintain and enhance farming and designate specific areas for agricultural use;
Policies for the preservation, protection, restoration and enhancement of the natural environment its ecosystems and biological diversity.

Additionally, the OCP may designate Development Permit Areas (PDF), which allow the Town additional controls for regulating certain types of development.

You can find the OCP land use designation of your property by looking it up on the OCP Land Use Maps (PDF). You can also check the Development Permit Area Maps (PDF) to determine if your property is within a Development Permit Area. Further details about land use categories and Development Permit Area Guidelines can be found in the Official Community Plan Bylaw.

If you have further questions about the Official Community Plan please contact the Planning Department either in person at Town Hall, or by phone at (250) 339-1118.

If you are considering a development project that does not fit within the land use designations of the OCP, you may need to get an OCP amendment to ensure the project conforms with the OCP. Information on the OCP amendment process can be found here and you can also contact the Planning Department either in person at Town Hall or by phone at (250) 339-1118 for further information.

The Town of Comox OCP Planning process was broken down into three phases:

Phase 1 included an introductory public meeting to kick off the planning process and the first set of neighbourhood meetings. To help the process identify issues of neighbourhood interest and concern the Town was structured into five neighbourhoods:
● Downtown Comox
● Central Comox
● West Comox
● North Comox
● East Comox
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These meetings included a review of demographic trends and historical development patterns, discussion about the OCP’s legislative requirements and how it must fit with the larger Regional Growth Strategy of the Comox Valley Regional District.
Age Friendly Planning The Town recognized the importance of including a range of key stakeholder groups in the public consultation process. During Phase 1 they connected a set of age friendly planning meetings that engaged youth and seniors. The process included discussion about how age friendly planning initiatives could be incorporated into the Town of Comox and more general discussion of Comox assets and issues. The process culminated in a joint presentation by the youth and seniors. The following reports contain an overview of the age friendly planning process and background demographic information on the Town of Comox:
- Age Friendly Planning Background Report (PDF)
- Age Friendly Planning Summary Report – June 2010 (PDF)
Phase 2 included a second round of community meetings that built on the ideas gathered during Phase 1. Additionally, two Open Houses were held that focused on the potential for future growth within the Town of Comox. The presentations focused on infill and redevelopment opportunities either along or within walking distance of BC Transit corridors. The emphasis on locating new development near transit services (commonly referred to as “transit-oriented development”) forms part of a broader sustainability strategy focused on improving the well-being of citizens and the environment through increasing the use of public transport, walking and cycling and reducing dependence on vehicles.
Phase 2 also featured a second set of meetings and Council presentations featuring the draft Land Use Maps. These maps (PDF) identify areas of future growth and set out a 20-year program for how land can be used and developed within the Town. The draft land use maps were also presented at two Open Houses and in a joint meeting of the Town’s Advisory Planning Commission and Advisory Design Panel.
In addition to developing the Land Use Maps the following background reports were prepared during Phase 2:
Phase 3 saw the preparation of the new OCP, including objectives and supporting policies, refined Land Use Maps and Development Permit Areas. A final set of Open Houses were held, providing citizens with an opportunity to comment on the draft OCP. From this feedback a final OCP was developed and presented to Council and citizens at a Public Hearing in May of 2011. Council adopted the Comox Official Community Plan Bylaw, 2011 on July 20, 2011 and the Town of Comox has begun implementing the plan.
During each phase of consultation for the new Town of Comox OCP, a corresponding consultation process took place with the K’ómoks First Nation. This included an initial consultation, meetings to identify issues and concerns, and an itemized briefing note illustrating these concerns and how they could be accommodated within the new OCP. The draft OCP included responses to issues raised during the initial consultation and a meeting between the Town of Comox and the K’ómoks First Nation was held to fine-tune these responses prior to OCP adoption.

If you have any questions regarding the OCP process or the Comox Official Community Plan Bylaw please contact the Planning Department at (250) 339-1118.

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Official Community Plan

The Town of Comox OCP Planning process was broken down into three phases:

Town Hall:

Comox Community Centre:

Public Works (After Hours Emergency Line):

Fax: