Although this reporter is strongly against riparian area violations, the CVRD can’t legally blackball Billy Goat Island owner Michael Dix from developing on his (not the community of Youbou’s) island. Whether he should have been sold the island or not, due to an inevitable riparian infringement, is now entirely irrelevant. It’s his island, and it’s zoned for what he is proposing.
This doesn’t mean that the CVRD should ignore the input of Youbou residents, who are overall strongly against anything being constructed at Billy Goat Island. But, denying his application flat-out, and not providing him any guidelines to abide by in a follow-up application, is nothing short of an insult. Tell him a 2,400 square foot building is too large for the island, or that you don’t like the proposed septic system. Tell him anything!
This also begs the question of whether or not the island’s owner will take legal action against the CVRD.
After 15 months of messing around with trying to get a simple house built, and now hitting a brick wall of bureaucracy, he probably should.
editor@lakecowichangazette.com