Golden residents will have an opportunity later this month to speak directly to council about the town’s proposed new Official Community Plan, a long-range planning document that will help guide how the community grows and changes in the years ahead.
The Town of Golden is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 5 p.m. for Bylaw No. 1516, 2026 Town of Golden Official Community Plan. The hearing will take place before council considers further readings of the bylaw.
An Official Community Plan, often referred to as an OCP, is one of the most significant planning documents a municipality creates. It is a provincially mandated regulatory document that sets out broad policies on issues such as housing, transportation, parks, infrastructure and climate change. It also designates land for different purposes, including residential, commercial and park use, and provides general direction for future development decisions.
While an OCP does not approve individual developments on its own, it helps shape the framework used when those decisions come before council. That makes it an important document for residents, business owners, developers and anyone interested in the future shape of Golden.
Council gave first reading, as amended, to the proposed OCP bylaw at its June 25 council meeting. Before the bylaw can proceed through the next stages, the Town is required to hold a public hearing, giving residents and others who consider themselves affected by the proposed plan a chance to provide feedback.
The public hearing marks one of the formal steps in the OCP process. It follows earlier community engagement and comes at a time when Golden, like many growing communities, is facing questions around housing supply, infrastructure capacity, land use, transportation and how to balance future development with the character of the community.
Background materials are available through the Town of Golden’s website at golden.ca/ocp. They can also be reviewed in person at Town Hall from June 30 to July 21, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Residents who wish to provide written comments to council can do so by dropping a submission off at Town Hall, mailing it to P.O. Box 350, Golden, B.C., V0A 1H0, or emailing clerk@golden.ca.
The Town notes that only emails sent to the clerk address will form part of the council agenda. Written submissions must be received by 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
Residents can also attend the public hearing in person or virtually by Zoom webinar on July 21 at 5 p.m. Information on participating virtually is available at golden.ca/virtualmeetings.
For more information, residents can contact Colin MacPhee, planning and development technician, at 250-344-2271 ext. 240 or colin.macphee@golden.ca.
