A request from the Royal Canadian Legion to have the official community plan changed to accommodate its service club and to have the village of Queen Charlotte take over the local cemetery were set aside until February by council, Heather Ramsay writes.
The first request, presented as a letter to council at the January 3 meeting, was to have the site of the former United Church be reclassified as a veteran's service club in the Official Community Plan.
The Legion intends to license the property with a Primary Club Liquor License, in what the letter describes as a partly-residential, partly-business neighbourhood.
Secretary-treasurer Andree Elliott points out the U-brew already holds a liquor license next door and there is already a hairdresser, Women's Centre, Thrift Shop, Sears, BC Hydro, Parks Canada and more in the area.
"I think we need to do some planning before we know what we want to amend," said Mayor Carol Kulesha. She suggested this may be the time for a public discussion about the future shape of the town.
The community must decide whether the OCP is an enforcement document or a planning document. Mayor Kulesha mentioned there are funds available to help communities make these plans.
She also prefers to wait until the new administrator arrives.
As for the cemetery, Ms Kulesha said more research needed to be done before council could take on the responsibility.
A motion was made to send the Legion a letter requesting information such as old surveys, a copy of the deed, a map of the gravesites and any information on money held in trust for the cemetery.
The Legion has owned the cemetery since the early 1950s and has not been able to maintain it, or upgrade it due to a lack of volunteers and money.