In a 4-1 vote, Gibsons council passed third and final reading for the revised official community plan (OCP) on Tuesday, March 17 in front of a gallery of roughly 60 residents.
Only Coun. Silas White voted against the motions.
“The problem is that I feel — in regards to The George — this update will, once again, lock us in to an all-or-nothing — a selection process that hundreds of residents have told me they find unacceptable,” White said. “In this case, the ‘all’ would be punching through an OCP amendment bypassing the language we’re being asked to agree to here today. The ‘nothing’ would be adhering to the one- to two-storey statement, thereby making the project impossible.”
White also stated that he had a problem with the timing of the OCP update in regards to the George Hotel.
“The George proposal cannot start out with one OCP and have the OCP switched around part way through,” White continued. “I will be open to supporting amendments to this update, but unless I hear something really convincing … I think I will have to oppose third reading and adoption due to my concerns for bad timing.”
Council did make two amendments in response to concerns raised by residents. The amendments included: the Harbour Area Plan addition one on page 27 had the word “generally” and the phrase “general guideline” removed. Also, addition three on page 115 of the Smart Plan was removed in its entirety.
Although there was debate over these amendments, council decided that ultimately their removal made little difference to the OCP, but that it gives a stronger definition to the height restrictions in the harbour area.
The restrictions are now one to two storeys on the higher side of the lot and up to four storeys (depending on slope) in the lower part, instead of “generally” one to two storeys and up to four.
Addition three states that “where a rezoning is not being proposed, applicants should also refer to the part five View Protection and Massing regulations set out in the Town of Gibsons zoning bylaw.”
Addition three was removed because the OCP already defers to the zoning bylaw, making this addition redundant.
Mayor Wayne Rowe addressed concerns raised by residents that view protection was removed from the proposal, which Rowe said was incorrect. Part five of the Town zoning bylaw, which addresses view protection as a priority, remains in place, he said.
Later in the meeting, staff and council also addressed some of the concerns and allegations thrown around at the public hearing on March 10 and in written submissions.
“I must express my disappointment that the odd individual felt it necessary to level unfounded charges of corruption around the process of revising the OCP,” Rowe said. “Everything around this process has been open and public. These allegations are an insult to all the members of the council and, quite frankly, an insult to the citizens of this town.”
