It’s been about 10 years since developer Klaus Fuerniss first approached Gibsons council with his plans to build a hotel on the Gibsons waterfront and three years since the George Hotel and Residences proposal was unveiled – but one of the project’s last major hurdles was cleared at the Oct. 6 Gibsons council meeting.
The zoning and Official Community Plan (OCP) bylaw amendments for the proposed George Hotel and Residences project were adopted unanimously by all Gibsons council members – excluding Silas White, who recused himself due to conflict of interest – and Mayor Wayne Rowe last Tuesday.
“Ten years ago I started by submitting the first drawing to town council,” Fuerniss said after hearing the news.
“I’ve dealt with four different councils – many, many negotiations in relation to size and height and all sorts of things that came along over the years. It’s nice to see that we went through that particular phase of the zoning. There will be a lot of work now in front of us to get to the building permit.”
The amendments regarding height and density were discussed at length during a five-hour public hearing on Oct. 1. They were brought to council for third reading and adoption on Tuesday night.
“The vote tonight was something that I know our members of council have been wrestling with, each individually,” Rowe said after the decision was made. “It’s been a very heavy and stressful decision for all of us.”
Vocal opponent of the proposed hotel’s current design, Suzanne Senger, said she was not surprised by council’s decision.
“It’s no surprise,” Senger said. “The mayor has had his mind made up since before he was elected for office. We’ve had a sense that this was a done deal for a long time, so no surprise.”
Each councillor stated his or her individual decision to support the project before it went to a vote.
“My comments this evening are directed towards our community and specifically towards those community members who haven’t felt heard in this process,” Coun. Charlene Sanjenko said. “I heard you. I heard you express fear that a precedent would be set, encouraging a wall of condos along our ocean front. I don’t agree with – or accept – this concern.
“I heard you when you were frustrated by what has been described as a lack of negotiation by the developer and I also want to respond to that,” Sanjenko said. “What I have witnessed in this process is the developer reviewing and updating his plans substantially three times, as well as implementing various modifications to try and find a balance between what could work for our community as well as fulfill his vision and support his business model.”
Coun. Jeremy Valeriote spoke about his struggle in reconciling the development – which he said is needed in the town – with the dissatisfaction of many residents.
“What I heard at the public hearing tells me that it’s time to begin the healing process,” Valeriote said. “When an issue touches our hearts like this one does, we feel that there is so much at stake and so sometimes we say things that push the limits of civility – and that’s fine, that’s democracy and it can be messy. But there is a time to forgive and forget and this is that time.
“To alleviate concerns about precedent, I think that council should send a very clear signal that we welcome development consistent with managed growth,” Valeriote said. “But if we grant this rezoning it shouldn’t be mistaken for open season on waterfront developments.”
Coun. Stafford Lumley said while there are aspects to the proposed hotel that he doesn’t like, they are outweighed by the benefits. He put together a list of pros and cons about the development.
“The pros: improved pedestrian and waterfront access. Con: too tall,” Lumley said. “Pro: economic driver for existing and new businesses. I’m hoping that youth can get engaged with things like ecotourism. Con: too tall. Pro: 130 jobs, new families maybe, diversity in culture. Con: too tall. Much needed infrastructure upgrades, that’s a pro. Con: too tall.”
Rowe spoke last, also in support of the bylaw amendments. He said that the proposed hotel is necessary for the Town to continue to support itself financially.
“Our professional advisors tell us that we need to be setting aside $500,000 for road maintenance. We’ve been unable to set aside any money because we do not have it without incurring debt,” Rowe said. “It’s important to understand that a tax increase in the Town of Gibsons of one per cent results in additional funds to the Town of only $25,000. The project under consideration, when fully built, is expected to generate tax revenues in excess of $300,000 per annum. The only tools that the Town has at its disposal to deal with all of these costs are either to increase taxation, to increase debt – which then requires increased taxation to pay interest – or to accept and encourage density of development.”
The zoning amendment bylaw (No. 1065-33 2015) for Comprehensive Development Area zone 2 (CDA-2) is to allow for a mix of residential and tourist commercial uses. This is specifically to allow for the hotel in subarea 1 and apartments in subarea 2 as well as the restaurant, dining facilities and off-street parking for the proposed George Hotel.
The maximum height of buildings in the Gibsons Harbour area cannot exceed one to two storeys at the highest elevation, and three to four storeys at the lowest elevation, under the current OCP which was voted in last March, although the OCP does allow for exceptions to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The changes to the current OCP for the site of the proposed hotel now allow for a residential building of up to seven storeys and a hotel of up to eight storeys on this specific site.
The zoning amendment that went to public hearing on Oct. 1 and was voted in by town council on Oct. 6 will allow the height of the hotel to be 31.44 metres at the highest elevation and 25.05 metres for the apartments.
The developer agreed to a cash contribution of $156,648 for the affordable housing reserve fund and $100,000 for the community amenity reserve fund in exchange for rezoning the site to a higher density.
There is still more paperwork to be done before construction crews break ground on the hotel and residences.
The zoning bylaw process will need to be completed by registering the development agreement, Gibsons director of planning André Boel explained. The cash contribution for affordable housing also needs to be received.
“Everything for that is in place – I just need to cash the cheque,” Boel said. “After that we need to work on the detailed design and prepare development permits.”
Boel said that ground wouldn’t be broken for at least six months.
