Gibsons United tax exemption
The Gibsons United Church property at 724 Trueman Rd. is back on the list for a 2017 permissive property tax exemption, after a sale fell through earlier this year.
Just over half the property is covered by the statutory exemption given to all churches, and the rest is exempted at the discretion of the Town.
The property was ruled ineligible for a 2017 permissive exemption on July 19, when it still looked like the sale would be going forward. Councillors were told at their Sept. 20 meeting that Oct. 31 is the deadline to adopt any changes for the 2017 taxation year, and that if they wanted to reinstate the exemption, time was running out. They were also told the exemption for 2017 couldn’t be revoked after the deadline, no matter who owns the property.
Coun. Charlene San Jenko argued in favour. “At this point in time they are a church, they’re meeting as a church. Any church that would be up for sale we would be treating it [as though they had] an exemption. This is just a weird thing that happened.”
“We’re bound by the bylaw,” director of finance Ian Poole said when asked what would happen if a sale went through before the next chance to amend the bylaw. “But, I think we could probably encourage a new owner to possibly buck-up the difference, if that were to happen.”
Town staff estimate the value of the exemption at $1,750.
Houses moved off George property
Several houses have been moved from the location of the proposed George Hotel and Residences in Gibsons as the developer, Klaus Fuerniss Enterprises, begins site preparations.
The project was granted a development permit approving the form and character in May, but still requires development permits covering geotechnical hazards, aquifer protection and environmentally sensitive areas, as well as an overall building permit, before construction can begin.
Moving and demolition permits for several of the buildings on the properties around the Winn Road/Gower Point Road intersection were issued in late summer, and the first building moves happened earlier this month.
Jeff James, the manager for the company’s two marinas, Hyack Marine Services and Gibsons Marina, helped coordinate the operation. He said two companies were involved in the moves: Nickel Brothers and Supreme Structural Transport.
The buildings are all being reused locally. The home at 407 Gower Point Rd. has been moved to a lot on Gibsons Way, and the one at 689 Winn Rd. was trucked to Roberts Creek. An outbuilding on that property was moved as well.
The next scheduled move will come in early October, when the house at 397 Gower Point Rd., which had been used by the developers as an information centre, will be barged to a new location in Bonniebrook. The cottage at 409 Gower Point Rd. is also slated for relocation, and James said they’re hoping to find a buyer soon.
