The public will get a chance to review and comment on the draft Gospel Rock neighbourhood plan early next month.
Council has set April 6 as the date for a public information session on the plan. The session starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Gibsons Legion.
The Town's planning consultant Michael Rosen will present the draft plan and there will be an opportunity to receive public comments, suggestions and questions.
In advance of that meeting, council approved several recommendations related to the draft plan at the March 1 council meeting. Those included that the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, School District No. 46, agricultural land commission, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, all emergency protective services, Squamish Nation and various non-government organizations as selected by council will get a chance to consult and review the plan. This consultation will take place between the selected groups and Gibsons director of planning Michael Epp. Any information coming out of that consultation will be added to the draft plan presented on April 6.
An amendment in the transportation policies section of the plan was also approved. It now reads: "Bayview Heights Road shall only be extended for the purpose of providing a private access road for the adjacent westerly property. In the event of a rezoning application, any permitted extension will be for a limited amount of development of up to a maximum of 30 units, the exact amount of development to be determined based upon a more detailed traffic study that would examine the capability of Bayview Heights Road and its intersection with Gower Point Road to handle the additional traffic."
The last special com-mittee of the whole meeting Feb. 16 brought the recommendations to the council table.
Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk said he feels the process is going along as council has envisioned.
"Council is at a crossroads. They want to know what the community thinks of the draft plan, and they want to give folks the opportunity to give us that input before we go into the public hearing stage," Janyk said of the upcoming April 6 meeting.
Janyk added that he is curious to know what the community is going to tell them.
"The discussion is open to everyone. Ultimately, this development is going to impact us all, not just the people in the Town of Gibsons. Our neighbours are most welcome and we would love to hear from them," added Janyk.
-With files from Allie Nichol
