[as reported in The Times Colonist]:
A controversial environmental bylaw that has divided Saanich residents will be scrapped, with a 5-4 vote by councillors capping a tense public hearing on Saturday.
The Environmental Development Permit Area bylaw, passed in 2012 with the goal of protecting sensitive ecosystems on 2,200 single-family properties, was loathed by some residents, who said the complicated bureaucratic system arbitrarily restricts what they can do with their land. Others argued that the decision to classify certain areas as environmentally sensitive was based on a flawed and outdated mapping system rather than scientific evidence.
