Sechelt councillors are putting on their armour and getting ready for an attack at the upcoming public hearing for Pacific Spirit Properties.
The plan, that would see a six-storey development erected on the last significant piece of waterfront property in Sechelt, was before council Wednesday night looking for first reading and referral to public hearing.
Councillors Warren Allan and Darren Inkster were not happy with the existing plan and asked the developer to look at revising it once again.
"I have mixed thoughts on this because if we move it to public hearing we better put on our battle armour because it ain't going to be a good night and I don't like getting beat up," Allan said.
Allan was referring to the overwhelming opposition to the plan that seems to be centred around the height of the building and its placement on the waterfront.
Members of the Sechelt Village Residents' Association (SVRA) during a delegation Wednesday laid out their concerns and pointed to a petition they say 400 people have signed in opposition, although the petition has not yet been presented to council.
SVRA president Doug Smith told council the Pacific Spirit plan flies in the face of the official community plan (OCP) that states buildings on the waterfront are not allowed to be over three storeys without allowing for a 300-foot setback from the shoreline. The Pacific Spirit plan allows for about a 90-foot setback.
"We are asking you as a council to review the requirements of the OCP that very precisely states that no more than three storeys are allowed on the waterfront, period," Smith said.
District planner Ray Parfitt noted the OCP is not a regulatory document, rather a set of guidelines to set policy by, and the extensive green space provided by the developer is a trade off for the added height on the site.
Approximately 64 per cent of the site in the current plan is publicly accessible green space.
Inkster and Allan noted their objection to the plan going forward in its present state. The rest of council seemed to want to see it reach public hearing stage, although some mixed emotions were noted.
"We've asked for changes to be made and they've done that and we asked for consultation and they've consulted. I think we have something here that should go forward for public hearing. I don't think we can continue asking them for more and more. It's a case of saying are we going to fish or cut bait? Let's get on with it," Mayor Cam Reid said.
When the question was called, all but Allan and Inkster were in favour of sending the Pacific Spirit plan to public hearing.A date for the hearing has not been set.
