Councillors in Gibsons say they’re willing to consider a mixed light industrial, commercial and residential development proposal for Lot 13 on Venture Way from the company that also owns the Gibsons Recycling Depot property.
Shazach Holdings’ proposal was brought to council’s committee of the whole Nov. 21 as a “pre-application” to gauge council interest and help the developer decide whether to file for a zoning amendment.
The nearby Calvary Baptist Church had approached the Town earlier this year about an affordable housing project for seniors on the site, but councillors rejected the idea because they didn’t want to lose industrial land.
Coun. Charlene SanJenko said she’s supportive of the idea Shazach Holdings has brought forward. “I think, given that there are residential complexes that surround this pieces of property on one side and industrial uses that surround it on the other side, I would be open to a concept that would be transitional.”
Coun. Silas White said he, too, liked the Shazach proposal more than the purely residential project being suggested by the church. “I’m more amenable to this because there’s an industrial element.”
Shazach’s Julian Burtnick said the company is hoping to fill a need for people looking for a space to rent to operate a business, which isn’t being filled by the available land in the Venture Way industrial area, as well as residential rentals.
“There’s limited land available you can go out and buy and put 20, 30 or 40 units on,” he told the committee.
Shazach also owns the property at 1019 Venture Way, which it bought in 2016 from Gibsons Recycling Depot (GRD). Gibsons Recycling is currently leasing the land from Shazach while it looks for new ownership, and Burtnick said while the current lease is up when GRD’s contracts with the Sunshine Coast Regional District expire, it could be extended.
The company’s long-term plan is to link the two properties, which are 1.6 hectares (four acres) in total, and put a similar style development on the GRD site.
The committee voted unanimously that it would be willing to consider an application. There’s no word on when Shazach Holdings will be prepared to put forward the formal application.
