Praise for wharfinger
Acting mayor Stafford Lumley used his report to council March 23 to recognize Gibsons Harbour wharfinger Larry Ostrosky for his quick action to help a man in distress in the water.
Lumley said Ostrosky was heading down to one of the ramps to replace some hinge pins last week, when he spotted a man struggling to get out of the water near the dinghy tie-up. It seems the man’s dinghy had capsized as he was coming into the wharf, and although he was able to swim to the edge of the float, he couldn’t climb out.
Lumley told council Ostrosky likely saved the man’s life. “He was just about under when Larry saw him,” Lumley said.
Affordable housing/short-term rentals
Council voted March 21 to join the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) public consultations on short-term rentals, and to support the SCRD’s plan to look at ways to increase the affordable housing stock in the rural areas.
There was general agreement with the SCRD’s plan to look at “rural residential areas and village cores” as areas where infill and multi-family cluster development should be encouraged, which is similar to what Gibsons is doing with garden suite zoning.
“I was surprised at the size of the targeted infill for our neighbouring electoral area – Elphinstone,” said Coun. Jeremy Valeriote. “It seems like a large part of that electoral area.”
Valeriote said he hoped it was an issue that could be included as part of a so-called fringe area agreement being negotiated between the Town and the SCRD. “Considering that it’s on our boundary, it’s worth mentioning that we’re interested because of the effects it has on our zoning and our affordable housing efforts.”
Council voted to write the SCRD supporting the plan, and suggesting the regional district also consider ideas like the garden suite program, and the cluster zoning used for areas like the Parkland subdivision.
On the short-term rental consultations, Coun. Charlene SanJenko said she felt it was “an important discussion to be had with the public right now, especially before tourism season,” but she also noted that the SCRD should be encouraged to cast as wide a net as possible during those consultations.
Winegarden Park
Council endorsed a committee of the whole recommendation to create a Winegarden Park master plan based on the suggestions of a special advisory committee, but there was some debate on the idea that if funding required park improvements be phased in, whether the top priority should be the waterfront walkway and shoreline rehabilitation.
“I do support the concept. I was a little surprised to see it first on the list of priorities,” said Coun. Valeriote. “Changing the shoreline seems like it could be expensive and if we prioritize that we may not have funds for anything else.”
Director of planning Andre Boel said that work would have to be done first regardless, because the other improvements to the park would have to take cues from the walkway and shoreline configuration.
Lower speed limits
Council also adopted amendments to the traffic and highway use bylaw on March 21, lowering the speed limits on some roads.
All of Shaw Road will now be a 30 km/h zone, an idea that came up during discussions about adding cycling lanes to Shaw.
Seacott Way, Mountainview Drive, Tricklebrook Road, Steinbrunner Road, Hillcrest Road, and Cascade Crescent are also getting 30 km/h speed limits.
