Hot tub
The long-awaited installation of a new hot tub for the Gibsons and District Aquatic Centre was scheduled to start this week.
During his regular quarterly report for directors July 13, Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) general manager of planning and community development Ian Hall confirmed the project was moving forward.
The hot tub replacement was delayed by extended debates over the cost, and whether the Town of Gibsons should dip into a fund left as part of a now-deceased resident’s will to help pay for the work.
The budget was eventually set at just under $300,000.
Public hearings
A public hearing will be held Sept. 12 for two projects in Roberts Creek.
One is a craft distillery proposed for 2042 Porter Road. The other is a campground planned for a property at 2089 Lockyer Road in upper Roberts Creek near where Lockyer becomes the East Wilson Forest Service Road.
The remote location of the campground was one of the early concerns raised by the local fire department. It will be addressed through on-site water supply. After the issue came up at a public information meeting, SCRD planning staff concluded a special covenant would not be required to prevent the owners from converting sleeping cabins into permanent homes. Current zoning allows up to three dwellings on the property.
Concerns raised about the distillery included fire protection and whether, because of the flammable nature of spirits, sprinklers should be required, as well as the potential for odour and excessive water use.
Planning staff said the amount of distilled product that would be on site wasn’t enough to require sprinklers, smell is not an issue in the distilling process and the cooling system – the biggest water use in a distillery – would function on re-circulated water from a pond on the property.
HSPP gravel dredging
Howe Sound Pulp and Paper (HSPP) has applied to the province for permission to remove gravel from two sections of Rainy River. The company says it needs to clear gravel from around its extraction sump to allow it to draw water during the summer. The other application is for the regular removal of gravel from the river to ensure water flow for the pulp mill.
The SCRD can make recommendations, but has no say on whether a permit is issued. The board agreed to recommend a qualified environmental professional be on site during the work, and a remediation plan be developed and implemented with the provincial Ministry of Environment and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to compensate for any lost or damaged fish habitat.
West Howe Sound director Ian Winn asked that the directors add a recommendation to ask HSPP to find a more permanent solution to the gravel buildup.
“Ultimately there has to be some long-term solutions here... It was discussed at length at the APC [advisory planning commission] and people much more knowledgeable than me came forward with ideas on how to design it better so [HSPP] doesn’t have to remove gravel and threaten fish habitat,” he said.
Roberts Creek director Mark Lebbell also asked for an amendment specifying that the long-term solution “minimize environmental disruption and damage to fish habitat.”
