In BC, the Local Government Act allows all municipalities to prepare and adopt an Official Community Plan (OCP). An OCP is a bylaw that sets out the broad objectives and policies that guide decisions on planning, land use and provision of municipal services in the community. It also establishes a degree of certainty about the location and nature of community change to residents and landowners while providing a framework for guiding and managing future development and growth.
Upcoming Public Hearing for proposed Official Community Plan amendments
On Monday, June 8, 2026 at 6:00 pm in the Council Chambers at Sidney Town Hall (2440 Sidney Avenue), a Public Hearing will be held for Council to hear public input on proposed amendments to the Official Community Plan.
Key amendments include:
- Expanding eligibility for Temporary Use Permits: To give Council greater flexibility to support short-term or trial uses such as seasonal businesses or temporary community needs, Temporary Use Permits could be considered in all residential land use designations, as well as in additional areas including the Neighbourhood Commercial, Airport Commercial, Harbour Road Marine, Institutional, Marine, and Park land use designations.
- Creation of a Tenant Protection Development Permit Area: To help mitigate the impacts on tenants where there is a loss of affordable rental housing, eight older purpose-built rental properties in Sidney would be included in a new Tenant Protection Development Permit Area. If Council later adopts a Tenant Protection Bylaw (currently in development), it would apply to these properties.
- Updating park land designation: The proposed amendment would update the Official Community Plan map to reflect the newly acquired park at 10097 and 10103 Third Street, purchased in 2024. This is an early step in formally establishing the nearly one-acre site near downtown as a municipal park. The property is currently used as open green space. The Town will engage with the community in the future to develop a detailed park concept plan.
- Aligning height limits across residential areas: Following Provincial Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing legislation, which now permits up to three storeys in areas previously designated for single-family residential use, the Neighbourhood Townhouse designation would be updated to a maximum height of three storeys from the current 2.5 storeys. This would create greater consistency across residential areas in Sidney, ensuring the Neighbourhood Townhouse designation has a similar height limit with surrounding residential areas. Any increase in permitted height for subsequent developments within the Neighbourhood Townhouse designation would still require Council approval through a zoning amendment or Development Variance Permit.
More information can be found:
- Staff Report: Bylaw No. 2315 – Official Community Plan Bylaw, Amendment No. 2 (April 26, 2026)
- Draft Bylaw No. 2315 to Amend the Official Community Plan
- Notice of Public Hearing – OCP Amendment Bylaw No. 2315
To participate in the Public Hearing:
- Speak in person at the June 8, 2026 meeting during the Public Hearing
- Speak electronically at the June 8, 2026 meeting (Participants joining electronically must register in advance by emailing admin@sidney.ca no later than noon on June 8).
- Send written comments to admin@sidney.ca or drop written comments off at Town Hall no later than 4pm on June 8.
Sidney 2040: Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2240
- Official Community Plan Bylaw
- OCP Schedule B: West Side Local Area Plan
- OCP: Land Use Designation Map
- OCP: Environmentally Sensitive Areas Map
Sidney’s Updated Official Community Plan
The most recent update to the Town of Sidney’s OCP began in March 2020. Following a two-year process of community engagement and plan development, Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2240 was adopted by Council following a Public Hearing on June 27, 2022 and reflects the values and shared vision of the community.
Sidney’s OCP includes the West Side Local Area Plan (WSLAP) as Schedule B. The WSLAP provides detailed policies and recommendations to guide the future of the West Side neighbourhood over the next 30 years.
The Town of Sidney would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who got involved in the OCP update over the course of the two-year project. While initial public engagement from 2020-2021 informed the development of the overall OCP document, community input continued to be a critical factor in refining the first draft of the OCP following its introduction on February 28, 2022. The draft OCP underwent a number of substantial changes in response to public feedback during its development, documented in this list of Council resolutions.
Past Official Community Plans