Editor:
In the name of art and economy we are having our homes and private lives violated. After running a commercial business in an R1 zone, which is not the proper zoning, a local gallery has been forced to apply for rezoning. To date no existing bylaws have permitted uses in place and proposed uses exceed official community plan policies.
A totally new zone is being proposed. 613.2 states permitted uses for an art gallery: teaching of art classes, up to four events in a calendar period, auxiliary retail of art, card, and art related products (12-16 not all local artists), live music events without amplifications, a maximum floor space of 200 sq. metres (today people would need 2.9 acres to hold this), maximum four employees, minimum nine parking spaces and keeping of poultry 2.46 feet from parcel line (today 50-foot setback).
The official community plan states in section 7.4: “an auxiliary art gallery, a use for the display and sale of original or limited edition works of art created exclusively by Sunshine Coast artists …”
Stopping a commercial business in a residential neighbourhood will not stop tourism and hurt the economy. It will show respect to fellow commercial and residential taxpayers who also support the community.
It may not be your concern today, but it could be tomorrow.
This has wrong all over it.
Monica Petreny and Steve Porter, Roberts Creek
