FAQs

Municipal Council has been interested in coastal regulation going back at least to 2012. There has been much discussion with the Provincial Government indicating for many years that they would be implementing coastal development rules that would apply consistently across the Province. This decision was reversed recently, with the Coastal Protection Act being scrapped and the idea abandoned by the Province. 

Council was disappointed with the reversal from the Province, but ultimately feels this is an important issue that needs attention. Council has now directed staff to begin Public Engagement to provide information on Coastal threats and gather input from residents on the desired level of regulation for development at the coast. 

There are currently no specific regulations when developing at or near the coast. The Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law contain regulations and setbacks from inland waterbodies, watercourses and wetlands, but this specifically exempts the Ocean.

Anyone developing on the coast currently must only meet the "Rear Yard Setback". which applies in all zones except the General Basic Zone where there is no yard setback required. This typically results in a minimum setback of 1.5m (5ft) or less depending on the zone that touches the coast. 

This has resulted in some property owners choosing to develop very close to the coast, in some instances on very small parcels of land between a road and the coast. We have heard concerns from residents about safety, protection of views of the ocean and potential liability concerns for the Municipality in issuing development and building permits in close proximity to the coast. 

Development at or near the coast, may increase the risk of loss of life or property damage if not properly planned and developed. 

The primary concerns related to Coastal development include:

• Sea level rise (increase in average global sea level over time)
• Storm surge (temporary increase in local sea level associated with storms, lunar cycles and compounded by Sea Level Rise)
• Erosion (permanent or temporary loss of sediment, soil, rock as a result of wave action on the shore
• Protect Coastal Wetlands (coastal wetlands are a vital ecosystem, providing unique habitat opportunities in addition to serving to protect upland areas from the impacts of Sea Level Rise, Storm Sure and Erosion. By their nature, coastal wetlands are able to absorb and temporarily store water and lessen wave action thereby reducing the impacts of erosion). 
• Loss of life (the primary intent of coastal development regulations is to protect life safety of residents and visitors to coastal properties)
• Loss of structures/financial impacts (the second priority in looking to establish coastal regulations is to protect structures and valuable assets from partial or total loss as a result of the threats associated with improper coastal development
• Loss of Coastal Ecosystems (as noted above, Coastal Wetlands provide crucial habitat in addition to mitigating the impacts of wave action, flooding and erosion on upland areas. Coastal Wetlands have become threated due to development at the coast and deserve protection.

No, the Province has decided they will not implement rules to apply across all Municipalities related to coastal development. There has been no update to the "Minimum Planning Regulations" which are the areas where a Municipality must implement specific planning and zoning requirements. 

Coastal development regulations are currently not mandatory, but Council has identified this as a topic they wish to discuss and pursue public engagement on to determine the desire and level of regulations that may be appropriate for the Municipality.