Despite concerns raised by a competing business, a kayak rental company has been granted a mobile vending permit to operate in Davis Bay, the fourth permit approved by Sechelt council this year.
Sechelt put out a request for proposals (RFP) for mobile vendors in February. Three food truck operators responded to the call, and were awarded permits in April to set up at Davis Bay, Kinnikinnick Park and Friendship Park on Trail Bay on a rotating basis.
Council held off on approving Halfmoon Sea Kayaks, the fourth vendor that responded to the RFP, while changes to the Parks, Lands and Roads Temporary Rental Amendment Bylaw worked their way through the system.
At the May 2 council meeting, director of finance Doug Stewart told councillors that staff met with the operators of Halfmoon Sea Kayaks and determined that a 10-foot by 10-foot (3m by 3m) spot at Davis Bay would be a good fit for the company because the site is too small for a food vendor. Stewart’s report to council also noted that the applicant has agreed not to park a large trailer in the existing beach parking spots or on the road nearby.
Alpha Adventures, a kayak rental company located in Wilson Creek, objected to the application.
In a letter to council, Alpha co-owner Jamie Mani said, “Like a food vendor with a storefront that would be impacted by a mobile vendor, we are concerned about the effects of this mobile rental business proposal. Unlike the food vendors, that will be rotating through and thus competing ‘for a somewhat limited time,’ a mobile rental business would be essentially harming our entire peak season.”
Coun. Darnelda Siegers asked: “When the RFP was put out, was it clear that we were advertising for all types of uses, or was the RFP determined to be for food because that’s all we’ve done in the past? Did the other businesses in the community recognize that this was something they could apply for?”
Stewart said the RFP was worded in a way to attract all vendors regardless of the products.
Mani was also at the meeting in person, and told councillors during the public Q&A session that when he last approached the district about applying to set up at Davis Bay, he was told applications from non-food vendors would not be considered. He also indicated Alpha plans to apply in future.
The Halfmoon Sea Kayaks application was approved with only one councillor, Alice Lutes, opposed.
