Cultus Lake Official Community & Park Plan Future Plan Advisory Committee SWOT Analysis Report July 16, 2013
1.0 SWOT Analysis On July 2, 2013, the Cultus Lake Park Board Future Plan Advisory Planning Committee conducted a SWOT Analysis to: better understand the Cultus Lake Park (strengths and weaknesses) and the opportunities and threats that face the community; share the knowledge of the Future Plan Advisory Committee (FPAC); and, to support the park and community planning process. A SWOT analysis is a basic strategic planning tool that examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a community or an organization. The strengths and weaknesses component considers internal qualities or dynamics of the community. Simply put, strengths are the assets that Cultus Lake Park has; the things it does well. Weaknesses are things it does poorly or lacks; its deficits. The Cultus Lake Park Official Community & Park Plan will build on strengths and seek to improve weaknesses, so a clear understanding of the present state of the community is important. External forces or dynamics that act on the community are considered in the opportunities and threats component of the analysis. Opportunities are found in the trends or forces at work in the larger environment (e.g. the economy, demographics) that the community can capitalize on. Forces in the larger environment that could harm Cultus Lake Park are threats. The success of the forthcoming Cultus Lake Park Community & Park Plan will depend in good part on how well it exploits opportunities and mitigates threats. The two components of the analysis the internal strengths/weaknesses and the external opportunities/threats are not discrete. They work together. The strengths and weaknesses of the community help to identify the opportunities and threats and ultimately shape the strategies used to capitalize on an opportunity or avoid a threat. The graphic below summarizes the SWOT framework. The SWOT Analysis was essentially a structured or facilitated dialogue with FPAC members during the July 2, 2013 over about an hour and a quarter. During the dialogue, points raised by committee members were written on poster sheets. Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) staff facilitated the discussion, recorded comments and prepared this report to document it. Images of the note sheets are attached as Appendix 1. 1 P age
2.0 SWOT Results INTERNAL EXTERNAL STRENGTHS Natural beauty & environment; quality of Cultus Lake; wildlife Close knit community Frequent informal social interactions Diverse community but committed to the park Neighbours talk to one another Friends Community school Something for everyone Big city services (access to Chilliwack) Variety of recreational activities Good air quality (different airshed than Fraser Valley) Residents invest for quality of life / lifestyle Community welcomes visitors Strong history; many long term owners (generations) Strong visual appeal Sense of community; safety; know everyone Walkable scale, year round Waterfront walk Variety of trails forest, urban, beach, hills Strong community groups Residents actively involved in politics and civic life History of volunteerism Community organized events such as canoe races, sailing, triathlon, dragon boat festival, fishing derby, eco market, etc. Cultus Lake Aquatic Stewardship Society Trans Canada trail passes through community Campground is a way to share the lake and generate revenue High service levels in CLPB; long term staff are part of community, knowledgeable Future Plan Advisory Committee with vision and passion OPPORTUNITIES Increasing population in Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver; increasing visitors to Park Greater stewardship; caring for Cultus Lake Tourist season can be extended; increase revenues and visitors Opportunity to provide affordable housing Can increase parking rates for visitors to raise revenues Promote relationship with adjacent areas such as Riverstone Partnerships with First Nations and other communities around the lake, especially for services or to address common problems Increase access to lake Increasing travel costs, such as fuel prices, will encourage recreation closer to home (and demand for lake) Can increase and improve marketing to improve perception of the lake; market to Chilliwack residents and involve the City of Chilliwack Develop trail around the lake for year round use Maximize natural amenities Work with FVRD, BC Parks, etc. on services such as sewer Develop new governance structure Get tax money back Address issue of power boats on the lake Develop seniors housing, small home based business, motel/convention centre, more camp spaces Market to the US residents (Washington State) Develop facility for non power watersports; attract people off season WEAKNESSES Inadequate pedestrian and bike ways Governance, Board make up, Board procedures Park Act; no benefits of municipal status No money from Chilliwack Access/egress into Cultus Lake Park; one way in/out Traffic Aging infrastructure Forest management; fire risk Too many staff; too expensive Campground business is down; dependent on weather; long term bookings required to reduce risk of vacancies, but reduces accessibility Campground may not be best use of land; spaces too small and not natural enough Parking not enough space; cost; limitations on where Not enough beach; crowded 30% failure rate of commercial businesses No restaurant or commercial business after hours Insufficient accommodations No hotel; only 2 B&Bs No diversity of housing forms Over use of rental units i.e. two rental units in one house Power boards cause noise and congestion on lake Bylaws not followed Political accountability; directors elected from outside community Poorly written bylaws; no consistency; inadequate procedures Goose crap in sand at beach Structural challenges in raising money for infrastructure Coney Island effect; amusement park aesthetics; empty much of year (seasonal); exclusive CLPB not financially sustainable Larger homes put pressure on services Declining affordability of residential properties THREATS Population growing older; threat to school and fewer young families Can be difficult to get a mortgage due to land tenure/lease; required higher down payment (25%) and reduced affordability Province won t deal with governance issue; inaction Rainy climate; climate change uncertainty Doing nothing; the status quo Uncertainty associated with first nation land claims Perception of Cultus Lake Park; lack of clarity of who we are, what we are; perceptions about lease ownership structure; confusion about ownership of land and roles of City of Chilliwack, Province, etc.; perception that Lake is too far from Chilliwack Declining lake health; eutrophication Increasing numbers of motorboats without controls or management; lack moorage; boats from outside the community No traffic control beyond the lake; need emergency evacuation routes Forest fire hazard Windfall of trees Economic change leading to higher lease rates Lack of public input Empty houses, especially in the off season, don t support local business No year round public transit Traffic congestion on Columbia Valley Hwy and connecting routes Population growth in Lower Mainland could overwhelm lake capacity Undesirable growth, i.e. higher income seniors 2 P age
3.0 Key Themes 3.1 Strengths The major strengths of Cultus Lake Park are evident. There is a strong and immediate connection to nature and wildlife. The landscape is beautiful. The water and air are clean. The natural environment provides a variety of recreational and outdoor opportunities in lake shore, forest, and hillside locations. Recreation is highly diverse. The community itself is also a key strength. Residents feel a strong sense of community and safety. There are many opportunities for informal social interactions and people get to know one another. There is a longstanding tradition of civic engagement. Residents are involved in politics and community institutions. They volunteer to make events such as the Cultus Lake Pike Minnow Derby happen. They publish newsletters and support community groups. 3.2 Weaknesses Governance and governance structure emerged as the primary weakness of Cultus Lake Park. Other key issues can be connected to governance. For example, Park infrastructure, particularly sewer and water, are at capacity and require investment but funding mechanisms are unclear. The seasonality of the community is a key weakness. During the summer, there are concerns with overcrowding, insufficient parking, lack of beach space, and traffic congestion. On the other hand, local businesses struggle, or close, in the off season leaving residents with few services, underutilized lands and unattractive spaces. 3.3 Opportunities Cultus Lake Park is located in relatively close proximity to the large market of the Lower Mainland where desire for recreation is increasing. With the aging demographics of the region and rising travel costs, the demand for quality, fully serviced recreation opportunities close to home is expected to grow. Cultus Lake Park is wellpositioned to profit from these opportunities. For example, accommodation such as hotel/convention centre could be developed. Local amenities, such as trails and lake access, events and marketing could be improved to further attract a larger share of the year round recreation demand. There may be opportunity to address servicing and infrastructure needs through partnerships with surrounding communities and agencies. 3.4 Threats Inaction to address governance is seen as a key threat to Cultus Lake Park. Uncertainty associated with governance and land tenure has broad affects. For example, the leasehold land ownership structure creates challenges for obtaining mortgages and increases the down payment required for property purchases (because CMHC mortgage loan insurance which facilitates lower down payments is not available). As a result of this and other forces, the affordability of the community may decline, there may be fewer young families to support the community school, and the resident population may become less diverse. 3 P age
Another key threat is that inadequately managed demand could overwhelm the capacities of the environment and the community. Traffic, boat congestion on the lake, and degradation of the lake environment are all threats that could significantly harm Cultus Lake Park. 3.5 Summary The table below provides a brief summary of some of the key themes. Natural Environment Built Environment Community Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats beauty, lake, wildlife, air quality, outdoor recreation Walkable scale, waterfront walk, community school, campground; Strong sense of community, close knit, friends, volunteers, community groups involved & caring residents Not enough beach; waterfowl; Inadequate pedestrian and bike ways; amusement park aesthetics; aging infrastructure; access/egress; little parking; few accommodations Governance; noise and congestion on lake Economy Something for everyone Declining residential affordability; CLPB not financially sustainable; infrastructure funding Enhancement of natural values, views & aesthetics; expand lake access Close to large market & population; trails; Partnerships with adjacent communities; stewardship; governance solutions Hotel/convention; diversity of housing forms; year round activity; stay cation trend Rainy climate, climate change, forest fire, wind fall trees, declining lake health; demands on lake exceeding capacity Declining affordability; social homogeneity; land tenure; traffic congestion; inadequate transit Rising servicing costs; inaction on governance issues; Seasonality; business viability 4.0 Comparison to a Previous SWOT Analysis A previous SWOT analysis done by the Cultus Lake Park Board Future Plan Advisory Committee in about 2008 reinforces the key themes described above. The two exercises yielded very consistent result. The only significant difference is that the 2008 SWOT put more emphasis on safety issues and support from the RCMP. The SWOT Analysis performed in 2008 is attached as Appendix 2. 5.0 Next Steps This SWOT Analysis is an input into a larger process that will result in a new Community and Park Plan for Cultus Lake Park. The process and timelines for developing the Plan is set out in the Terms of Reference: Cultus Lake Official Community Plan dated April 26, 2013 which was approved by the Cultus Lake Park Board on May 8, 2013. The Cultus Lake Park Community & Park Plan will build on the SWOT Analysis, community input, stakeholder consultation and other sources to set out a vision for the future of Cultus Lake Park and strategies for achieving it. 4 P age
Appendix 1: Posters & Notes from the July 2 2013 Future Plan Advisory Committee SWOT Analysis 5 P age
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Appendix 2: 2008 SWOT Analysis 12 P age