Port Alberni’s interim city planner told council they have a lot of work to do this year, to set the city’s path for the next few decades.
Joe Calenda was brought in after long-time city planner Scott Smith moved to Courtenay, and to work while the city hired a permanent replacement.
In his time here he has developed a report from an outsider’s perspective, telling council the city lands off Cherry Creek behind Pacific Rim Mall are key to future development.
He said the city’s 17 acres provides a perfect opportunity for a future high density community, once the city gets the lands removed from the agricultural land reserve.
Calenda said Port Alberni is a multi-nodal city, which provides an opportunity to develop four different centres within the city, which previous planners have encouraged and protected.
He said from a planner’s perspective, Port Alberni has done things right, but said the city needs to work with residents to develop a new Official Community Plan over the next two years, which will guide development priorities for the next decade.
