The land disposition issue between the Town of Gibsons and Habitat for Humanity looks to have come to a peaceful conclusion.
At Tuesday's planning committee meeting, committee members passed several recommendations that will now go forward for council approval at its meeting Tuesday.
The first motion is: that the Town of Gibsons provide up to $30,000 to Habitat for Humanity to purchase a lot in Gibsons and that this be placed before the other local governments to challenge them to do the same. The motion was moved by Mayor Barry Janyk and carried unanimously.
The second motion, which was also moved by Janyk, is: that lot 12 on Headlands Road be offered to the local concerned residents who will raise funds to purchase with the purpose to dedicate the lot as parkland and that if sufficient funds are not raised in six months, that lot 12 on Headlands be sold at the current market value and that $45,000 be provided to Habitat for Humanity to purchase land in Gibsons.
This motion was also carried unanimously.
If council approves the motions on Tuesday, council would add the $30,000 donation item into the current budget discussions.
Tuesday's decision comes after weeks of debate at the council table and several meetings held between Habitat for Humanity representatives and concerned residents in the Headlands Road area.
Tuesday's committee meeting was highlighted by presentations by Samantha Macintyre, who followed up on her thoughts presented in a letter to the editor in last week's edition of Coast Reporter.
Skyline resident Deborah Pepper represented her husband Ron and Camelia Way resident Bev Burgoyne also spoke. Both Pepper and Burgoyne represented the concerned neighbours.
Both sides told the committee that they were striving toward solutions in which Habitat for Humanity could get land to build on and lot 12 would not be disposed of but be kept as parkland.
Committee members debated back and forth for nearly an hour, throwing several scenarios on the floor. There were also comments presented to the committee from several members in the gallery, including Habitat for Humanity Sunshine Coast board chair Ed Hawkins.
"I'm happy with the decision that the committee has made," Hawkins told Coast Reporter following the meeting. "I have said that we would commit to aiding the residents with their fundraising, but that final decision must be made by the board."
The area residents seemed pleased with the recommendations as well.
"This is a wonderful solution for us to fundraise and allows Habitat to go out and purchase a lot tomorrow," Burgoyne said in addressing the committee. "This decision strengthens the community for everyone."
The fundraising effort by the neighbourhood group has already started with around $5,000 raised.
