The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is moving ahead with plans for repairing a damaged bridge in the Hillside Industrial Park, but only after staff determine who owns the property.
A staff report from Steven Olmstead, general manager of planning and development, identified the property at 390 Dunham Rd. as SCRD land. During the June 20 planning and development committee meeting, however, Olmstead could not say definitely that the bridge and access were on SCRD property.
"I'm sort of 99.9 per cent certain that it's on our own land," Olmstead said when questioned by directors.
Directors recommended staff determine the ownership of the bridge before proceeding with plans to rehabilitate the structure.
If SCRD ownership is confirmed, Sechelt Creek Contracting, which uses the structure to access its site, will be authorized to undertake the necessary repairs, subject to three conditions.
First, the structural integrity of the bridge has to be confirmed by a qualified engineer, with the costs charged to the Hillside Industrial Park function if the bridge is on SCRD land, and by the users if it is not.
Second, all cost of repairs will be borne by the users and the project will be coordinated by the Hillside Property Owners and Tenants Association (HIPOTA).
Third, HIPOTA will work with the SCRD to get an access agreement in place over SCRD land and private property as necessary,
Olmstead said vehicles have not used the bridge for five months and the closure is having a negative effect on business operations.
The estimated cost of repairs is between $15,000 and $20,000.
Logging plans
B.C. Timber Sales (BCTS) has submitted its operational plans for the Sunshine Coast to the regional district for review and comment.
Planning staff have reviewed the plans and referred them to the advisory planning commissions in Pender Harbour/Egmont, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone and West Howe Sound, and will also forward them to the natural resources advisory committee.
Staff intends to report on the operational plans at the July 18 planning and development committee meeting, planner Teresa Fortin reported.
BCTS has asked for comments to be submitted before September.
In related business, the committee recommended sending the revised draft communication protocol between BCTS and the SCRD to BCTS for signature.
Youth intervention
The regional policing committee has recommended the SCRD board chair ask the RCMP to extend the term of its youth intervention officer.
The recommendation originated from the Sun-shine Coast youth action and awareness committee. School District No. 46 trustee Greg Russell, who chairs that committee, said the current two-year term results in too fast a turnaround.
