Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 21/99) - Three businessmen said Monday the tail is wagging the dog where the city's new zoning bylaw is concerned.

"One more time your administration is jamming this thing, misleading you and misleading the public," Mike Stillwell told the city development committee Monday.

Stillwell said criticisms and comments of the proposed new bylaw from the public have not been recorded by staff or brought to the attention of council.

The zoning bylaw regulates development of property within city limits. It sets limits on the size, location and type of development that can occur. The city has been in the process of revamping the bylaw for the past year.

"You don't change the motor in your car unless you need a new one," said Old Town resident Les Rocher.

Rocher said the Old Town Development Scheme provides all the regulation required in his area.

"We're erasing all those years of work and, damn it, I spent a lot of time on it and so did you," said Rocher to Coun. Blake Lyons.

Back Bay resident Vaughn Del Valle said the proposed bylaw, which is still in the draft stage, betrays "some empire-building" by the city planning and lands department.

"My sense is it's a policing document .... a series of hoops and strings and trips and traps people have to fall through," said Vaughn. "It's counter-development."

At a meeting earlier in the day, the city's senior planner, Monte Christensen, said there have been seven opportunities so far for people to offer input into the new bylaw.

Coun. Kevin O'Reilly said it was just the beginning of council's involvement in the process, and noted council had provided staff with no guidance on what process to use to bring the new bylaw forward.

O'Reilly also noted there will be at least three more opportunities for public input.

The committee agreed that council would meet as a whole to review the document in about two weeks.