Mobile park
Big Maple trailer park in Wilson Creek is looking to expand to allow for about 28 more mobile homes.
Sechelt councillors at the Dec. 21 planning and community development committee meeting had their first look at the plan that “has the benefit of increasing potentially the affordable housing stock in the community,” according to development planner Aaron Thompson.
The proposal from Chapman Creek Holdings Ltd. calls for rezoning two lots adjacent to the mobile home park to R-5 for the expansion, as well as an OCP amendment for the entire park to change the designation from rural-residential to low-density residential.
“This is an interesting proposal. It has merits but it also has obstacles,” Thompson said.
He explained the park expansion enters into an environmentally sensitive area that will need special studies and permits to allow building to take place and that the expanded park would require a self-contained sewage treatment plant.
Councillors at the committee meeting seemed receptive to the plan but noted the expanded mobile home park would continue to be limited to people aged 55 and over, so it wouldn’t meet affordable housing needs for young people and families.
The committee recommended council give first reading to the plan and send it to public hearing for community feedback.
Council has yet to pass the recommendation at a regular council meeting.
Library funding
On Dec. 21 Sechelt council approved $102,000 in funding for the Sechelt Public Library to prepare a Class B cost estimate for the library renovation project, which is hoped to get underway in 2017.
The funding will be included in the 2017 budget and the money will come from property taxes ($56,553) and from the Community Building Reserve ($45,447).
Before passing the motion, council debated the merits of approving funding outside the regular budget process with director of finance Doug Stewart noting it was a special circumstance.
“It really had to do with timing of the project. There’s a Canada 150 grant opportunity for $50,000 plus a $50,000 matching grant. That money needs to be spent by the end of 2017,” Stewart said.
He explained that if the funding request for the Class B cost estimate went through the normal budget process, funding wouldn’t ultimately be released until around October or November.
“It would probably cause that Canada 150 grant to have to be abandoned,” Stewart said.
Coun. Darnelda Siegers noted the $56,553 in taxation won’t equate to an increase for taxpayers.
“The $56,553 came from the money that is already being taxed and that was in the budget already and was no longer needed for paying off the loan for the library because that was already paid off this year,” Siegers said.
Only Coun. Darren Inkster spoke against approving the funding, saying he supported the library but wanted to stick to the budget process.
When the vote was called to include $102,000 in the 2017 budget to fund the preparation of a Class B cost estimate for the library renovation project, only Inkster was against, and it passed.
Wesbrooke
Council unanimously approved first reading and referral to a public hearing for the Wesbrooke by the Sea seniors’ development on Dec. 21.
At a previous committee meeting, some were concerned about the new designation of “civic institutional” for the seniors’ facility as the building wouldn’t require a development permit under that designation.
The development permit is usually where council has some say over the form and character of a build.
The issue didn’t come up on Dec. 21 and council passed the project through first reading without discussion.
A public hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Liaison appointments
Councillor liaison appointments for the new year were set on Dec. 21: Darnelda Siegers – Sandy Hook, Noel Muller – East Porpoise Bay, Alice Lutes – Sechelt Village, Mike Shanks – Davis Bay, Bruce Milne – West Porpoise Bay, Darren Inkster – West Sechelt, and Doug Wright – Tuwanek.
Wright will also continue as the Sunshine Coast Regional District director for the District of Sechelt.
The new appointments will be in effect from January until June 30, 2017.
