Habitat for Humanity
Sechelt council has endorsed its in-camera decision to allow Habitat for Humanity Sunshine Coast to continue building at the group’s Wilson Creek location.
On June 21, council unanimously gave first and second reading to the zoning amendment needed for Habitat to continue building duplexes on the site and waived the requirement for a public hearing, as the property has been used for the same purpose by Habitat for several years.
It’s expected to come back to the next council meeting for third and fourth reading and final adoption.
Coun. Noel Muller made a point to explain why he was in favour of council waiving a public hearing, which is very unusual.
“This is an organization that receives widespread community support. They’ve been operating in this capacity for a number of years without complaint and this allows the work to continue in the way that it has, and so I’m comfortable with this,” Muller said.
Work at the Habitat for Humanity site was stalled earlier this year when staff found an issue in the wording of the zoning bylaw that stated triplexes were allowed on site, but not duplexes.
Council is now working to rectify the issue.
BC Bike Race
Council gave permission for the BC Bike Race to use soccer fields at Kinnikinnick Park for racers camping overnight on July 9.
The organization had applied for a temporary use permit, but Sechelt’s public places bylaw says no one can camp in public unless written permission is obtained from the district.
The race now has the needed approvals to set up camp on July 9 and 10.
The annual event sees hundreds of mountain bikers ride for seven days through Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and Whistler, camping overnight in various communities. This is the 11th year of the race that’s become well known as the Western hemisphere’s biggest mountain bike stage race.
Salish Soils
The District of Sechelt has signed an extended biosolids composting agreement with Salish Soils that runs until Dec. 31. Biosolids are what’s left over from the sewage treatment process at Sechelt’s Water Resource Centre.
The extended contract sets the price for disposal of biosolids at $160 per wet tonne, removes hauling from the agreement and allows flexibility in the amount of bonding required by Salish Soils.
Sechelt will contract with Grayco Disposal to haul the biosolids from the Water Resource Centre to Salish Soils for $250 per trip (for a nine metric tonne load), with the option for “on call hauling” at $60 per metric tonne.
Sechelt will also continue to rent a biosolids disposal bin from Grayco for a monthly fee of $915.
The information was released from a closed meeting during the June 21 regular council meeting.
