East Porpoise Bay residents got wind this week that their neighbourhood may be the future home to a sewage treatment plant.
Neighbours quickly organized to rally and let council know they do not want it in their backyard, but are willing to help find a better solution, than building the facility on an Allen Road property recently purchased by the District of Sechelt.
"This is a community problem not just one neighborhood's issue," said area resident Gina Stockwell, who contacted Coast Reporter on Tuesday, July 14 with her concerns. "The District of Sechelt claim that their hands are tied, that they have no place else to go with the sewer treatment plant. Clearly there are options."
District staff and council have been clear that the community needs greater sewer capacity and will need it soon, but where and how they expand is quickly becoming a hot topic.
"[The District] has been in negotiations and trying to purchase property for a number of years, but we need to put a plan together to serve our growing population," said Mayor Darren Inkster.
He added the District began looking in the East Porpoise Bay area "in around 2007" because "that was always a plan to build something at sea level."
Coun. Keith Thirkell said, "Pumping sewage uphill is stupid," and that is what the District is currently doing. "The pump is inadequate and to upgrade Dusty Road [facility], it would cost about $1-million for a lift station."
Rather, Thirkell said the community could spend $2-million to build something new and ergonomic. He also said it makes the most sense to look in East Porpoise Bay because all the sewer lines head toward the Dusty Road station already.
Stockwell's concerns were that a "low-end facility" would cause "smell and there's a lot of noise and trucks in and out and diminishing of property values."
"They're going to destroy what people have been working for all their lives and it's not necessary. There's lots of land to put it on," Stockwell said.
Thirkell said he is sympathetic to the neighbourhood's concerns.
"I told council I knew people would be upset that it's the preferred site," he said. "We need sewage treatment, not necessarily a big one," adding there are likely other suitable options to investigate.
Stockwell questioned why East Porpoise Bay should be home to the facility when residents there use septic tanks and would not benefit from the sewer lines, but both Thirkell and Inkster said they had to keep the needs of the whole community in mind.
A letter from Goodmans Barristers & Solicitors, written on behalf of Robert and Annika Redford who live on Allen Road was delivered to the District July 14. In it, David Redford wrote: "The property is located in the midst of numerous residential properties, close to public beach access at Porpoise Bay and generally in an area of the District that is experiencing increased residential and tourist activity. Locating a wastewater treatment plant on the Property would result in the District inflicting upon numerous residents and visitors sewage odour, industrial traffic and a visual eyesore that will substantially decrease their enjoyment and use of the area."
Pointing out the positive aspects of the Allen Road property, Thirkell said the chosen site would put a facility at the "furthest point from any residential homes."
Inkster said with modern technology, smell from the plant would be minimal and that construction would include "land buffers, trees planted and odour controls."
Inkster tried to calm public fears saying the Allen Road property is not the definite site for the plant but "We don't necessarily have other options."
"We've purchased some land because when we apply for funding we have to have a place to say 'We can put it there'" or we can't apply for funding," Inkster said.
The District is waiting to hear if their funding application to the Building Canada Fund for sewer upgrades of $3.2 million will be approved. Inkster said nothing can happen until there is money to work with.
"I do hope that it's soon. If we don't find an alternative sewer treatment system we can't have any development in Sechelt," Inkster said.
At the regular meeting of council on July 15, Inkster and Stockwell engaged during a public question and answer period where she asked for the topic to be put on the next council agenda and inquired how and when the public can discuss the matter with them.
Referring to a report made by Coun. Fred Taylor who attends the Sechelt sewage facilities commission, Inkster said there would be ample time for discussion as "It may not occur until 2015 to 2020" and that a design cannot be decided on until the District knows how much funding they have to put toward the plant.
