The owners of one of the properties covered by the Gospel Rock Neighbourhood Plan (GRNP) in Gibsons want their land out – and not just out of the plan area, but out of the town entirely.
Representatives of the owners of Block 6 (Gibsons Partners LP/Mark Coleman) made their case at the May 17 meeting of council’s committee of the whole.
Block 6 is a vacant 7.3-hectare (18-acre) lot bounded by Chaster Road to the north and Mahan Road to the west. It was part of Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) Area E until 1983. According to the owners, it’s assessed at $800,000 and the tax bill is about $5,000 a year.
It could be subdivided under current zoning into two-acre (0.8-hectare) lots for single-family homes, provided the lots are fully serviced. And, the potential cost of that servicing is one of the reasons the owners are asking for the property to be transferred back to the SCRD. They claim it would be so expensive that it would make development impractical.
They say moving it within the SCRD boundaries would allow the land to be developed as half-acre (0.2-hectare) lots like the neighbouring properties in Area E.
The owners’ consultant, Ray Parfitt of Parfitt Planning, told the committee the land is of “limited strategic value to the Town” and that developing it as rural lots under SCRD zoning rules would help create a buffer between Area E and the higher density development anticipated under the Gospel Rock Neighbourhood Plan (GRNP).
“This doesn’t really set an undesirable precedent,” Parfitt told council. “What we’re requesting is a return to that 1983 status prior to coming into the Town.” He also said the boundary change could actually make things less complicated if Block 7, the largest property included in the GRNP, is developed or purchased by a community group.
Parfitt said during a preliminary discussion that Town staff suggested the landowners apply for a variance, but it’s not an option they’re interested in. “The staff offer of seeking variance allowing single residences doesn’t make a lot of sense in their opinion.”
Council voted to have planning staff come back with a more formal report on the idea, and Mayor Wayne Rowe added a note of caution against changing all the work that went into the controversial GRNP “at the stroke of a pen,” noting that it’s the best interests of the Town and not the property owner that would carry the most weight. The report is expected before council takes its August break.
Municipal boundary changes are governed by several rules under provincial legislation, and Victoria would have the final say.
