The Town of Sidney is proposing an amendment to its zoning bylaw that would allow the installation of shipping containers in parks, a move aimed at bolstering the municipality's emergency preparedness.
A public hearing is scheduled for June 23 to gather community input on the proposed amendment, which received its first two readings by council on June 9.
The proposed amendment to Zoning Bylaw No. 2293 would specifically add "park" designations within the town's Official Community Plan, paving the way for the installation of shipping containers to support the Town's disaster water supply project.
These containers would serve as vital community distribution points for safe drinking water in the event of a disaster, such as an earthquake.
The initiative aims to equip Sidney to be the first municipality in the Capital Regional District (CRD) capable of distributing safe drinking water from a secondary source to its residents.
The Town's goal is to provide four litres of water per person per day for a minimum of five days following a major emergency.
Distribution points, housed within the steel storage containers, would be strategically located near the majority of households designated institutional lands, or, depending on feedback from the public hearing and council decision, parks.
Currently, the Town is considering three locations: Rathdown Park in Northeast Sidney and locations yet to be determined in Southeast and West Sidney.
The containers would also be used to distribute other essential supplies if needed.
While CRD has 14 blue hydrants connected to seismically resilient pipes, Sidney lacked the means to distribute water from these hydrants to its estimated 13,500 residents and visitors.
The emergency preparedness work is funded through a grant from the Province of British Columbia, specifically the Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding program and the BC Growing Communities Fund.
Residents are encouraged to attend the public hearing on June 23 to learn more about the proposed amendment and provide their feedback.
The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Sidney Town Hall.
