Working towards one goal Effective Land Use Planning & Environmental Solutions
Who are we?
- Land use and development consulting firm founded in 1996
- 9 core team members
- Planners, urban designers, project managers and environmental specialists
- Specialize in solving complex land use and related environmental issues
What do we do?
- Work for both private and public clients
- We specialize in highest and best land use studies, typically involving tough land use issues and have been hired by property appraisal firms, lawyers, local government, developers and private property owners
- Development approvals- managing development projects through municipal approval process which can involve extensive public consultation programs and putting together design teams with the right sub-consultants to address the specific project needs
What makes us stand out?
- Innovative solutions for complex land issues
- We think outside the box, identify how to achieve a solution and then determine how to accomplish this within the existing guiding policies and legislations applicable to the project
What are we passionate about?
- Cost effective, unique solutions
- Bringing businesses to our region
- Creating a positive work environment for our staff- supporting our team`s interests
Land Use and Development Planning
Oleg Verbenkov, BA, CSP, MCIP, RPP
Principal
Oleg is an expert in land use and development planning with over 35 years of combined public and private sector experience. As senior planner and senior project manager, he leads our teams in multi-disciplinary assignments involving various professional services, including engineering, environmental, urban design, landscape architecture, survey, appraisal and land economics. Oleg is a skilled facilitator and is often called upon to handle challenging assignments that typically involve difficult site conditions, complex negotiations or competing visions.
Laura Jones, BA, CSBA, MCIP, RPP
Senior Development Planner
Laura is an experienced development planner with over 16 years in the private sector. With a background that includes local government experience, Laura excels at preparing and managing development applications. She is skilled in project coordination with local government agencies, engineers, surveyors, architects, landscape architects and project managers. With a wide range of experiences in the development field, Laura is an expert at understanding big picture planning principles, breaking them down and identifying the key tasks to create a successful development strategy.
Rosa Shih, BES, MA (Planning), MCIP, RPP
Planner
Rosa is a planner with a comprehensive skill set drawn from private and public-sector planning experience in British Columbia and Ontario. She is responsible for coordinating and managing municipal approval processes including public consultation. Rosa is also responsible for conducting detailed land use research, producing urban design briefs, preparing highest and best land use assessments, and preparing planning rationales. Rosa's educational and professional background combines international development, urban design, environmental management, and city and regional planning.
Skye Bell, BA, MCP, Cert. Legal Administration
Planner
Skye is a dynamic planning professional with over eight years of real estate experience. She manages and coordinates development approval processes, such as rezoning, subdivision and development permit applications. Skye also prepares complex reports, including highest and best land use assessments and land use strategies. With a background in law and affordable housing development, Skye excels in creating development concepts, coordinating public engagement, formulating economic development and sustainability strategies, and preparing reliance documents for appraisal and legal work related to real property issues.
Gabriella Sipsas
Planning Assistant
Gabriella is a planning assistant in her first year of work since completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable and Environmental Geography. Gabriella assists in the coordination of development approval processes, such as such as rezoning, subdivision, development permit, temporary use permit and strata conversion applications. She actively collaborates with all levels of staff, and works to keep clients informed as development applications progress. Gabriella excels in application submission coordination, researching land use policies and drafting reports.
Environmental and Floc Systems
Kyla Milne, BSc, RPBio, P.Biol, QEP
Environmental Specialist/Lead Biologist
Kyla is a Registered Professional Biologist (R.P.Bio), Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) and PLG’s Lead Biologist. With more than a decade of experience in the industry, she specializes in aquatic and terrestrial ecology, construction planning and management, environmental compliance and permitting. She has significant experience conducting watercourse assessments, environmental monitoring, and other field assessments (e.g., bird nest surveys). Kyla is skilled in the preparation of environmental reports, such as Ecosystem Development Plans (EDP), Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMP), Riparian Area Protection Regulation (RAPR) assessment reports, Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) Monitoring reports, and Habitat Restoration/Compensation Plans and is skilled in the preparation and execution of permits and approvals, including; Water Sustainability Act (WSA) applications, DFO Request for Review (RFR) applications, and wildlife and fish salvage permits.
Bridgette Knowlan, BSc, BIT, BC-CESCL
Field Biologist
Bridgette is a Biologist in Training (BIT) and PLG's Field Biologist. She has over 5 years of experience in field based assessments including vegetation assessments, invasive species management, bird nest surveys and raptor monitoring, fish and amphibian surveys and salvage, stream and aquatic assessments, habitat restoration, and construction environmental monitoring. Bridgette has significant experience conducting RAPR assessments, ESC monitoring and reporting, preparing fish and wildlife permits, and supporting the preparation of WSA Approvals, Ecosystem Development Plans and permit applications, and Habitat Restoration/Compensation Plans. Bridgette brings a passion for ecological restoration and sustainable development and lends her experience to a multitude of projects to ensure they align with environmental regulations and guidelines.
Chau Le, BC-CESCL
Civil Engineer/Floc Systems Specialist
Chau is a Civil Engineer who works in collaboration with Pacific Land Group's Planning and Environmental Divisions to create custom design solutions specific to each project. Chau also collaborates with Hub Engineering and PLG/Floc Systems to assist with engineering design plans, Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) and water quality solutions.
Administration
May Thwin, PCP
Payroll and Accounting Administrator
May joined Pacific Land Group's Administration in 2019 and is the face of our administration team. She has over ten years of experience in customer service, accounting, business administration, and payroll.
Roshini Sachithra, MBA, BSc. (sp). Accounting and Business Finance
Accounting Bookkeeper
Roshini joined Pacific Land Group in 2022. She has extensive knowledge of Accounting and business finance, payment processing and acts as an inter-liaison between Clients and Staff.
Valerie Hollman
Office Receptionist
Valerie has been our Receptionist since 2017. Her experience stems from 15 years in a customer service position, and her responsibilities at PLG include switchboard operation, office letter preparation, and courier/mail service coordination.