A public information meeting Feb. 8 on Stockwell Sand and Gravel's proposal for a concrete processing batch plant brought about concerns over noise and dust and the fear that the project is already a done deal.
The company is looking for a three-year temporary use permit to locate a concrete batch plant on their gravel extraction property accessed by Allen Road.
Stockwell Sand and Gravel is suggesting running the batch plant from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday with trucks taking a maximum of 20 round trips per day from the site.
The plan calls for landscaping to buffer and mitigate industrial sights and sounds from the property.
The District of Sechelt also wants a $7,000 bond placed on the project to ensure the removal of the batch plant and clean up of the site once the temporary use permit expires.
At the Feb. 8 meeting, District planner Angela Letman laid out the process for the application.
"The next steps are the consideration at the committee of the whole on Wednesday, Feb. 22, which will move forward a report that has not been written yet, and I'm hoping to include the overall comments that are received today on the comment sheets in that summary," Letman said. "[Then] advertising two times of the council's intent to consider in the local newspapers, and that will happen most likely on Feb. 24 and March 2, and then final consideration by council on Wednesday, March 7, at 7 p.m. here in the council chambers."
Out of about 40 people who came to the public meeting on Feb. 8, at least three brought up concerns with that timeline, saying it seemed like it was a "done deal already."
In a follow up interview Feb. 14, Stockwell Sand and Gravel co-owner Gina Stockwell denied the allegation.
"No, it's not a done deal, absolutely not. It's just still in its early stages, and there's still a lot of process to go through," she said. "We're pursuing this because we believe it's a great business opportunity. I think it will make Sechelt stronger and our community will benefit from a second concrete plant."
However, some at the Feb. 8 meeting said they didn't want to see a second concrete batch plant in Sechelt.
Val Swanson from Swanson's Ready Mix, which has the only current concrete batch plant in Sechelt, was visibly upset at the meeting, saying her company was only allowed to stay at their site after a fight with the District of Sechelt.
"The District of Sechelt tried to remove us from our land, they tried to remove us, and now you're saying, 'well let's go ahead and let this one go ahead,'" Swanson said.
Other members of the audience wanted to know what benefit the community would get from allowing the new concrete batch plant to set up for a three-year term. Some wanted to make sure the roadway was kept clear of sand and gravel during the operation, and some were concerned about the noise such an operation would bring.
