Sechelt council has affirmed that the old Anderchek Property on Lower Dusty Road has been designated as the location for the District's new sewage treatment plant, according to a document released from in camera status last week.
While the information has only just been officially made public, Mayor Darren Inkster pointed out at council Wednesday, Feb. 17, that this isn't news to many in the community.
"Everyone knows [the property] was purchased and council wasn't planning to put up condos there," he said.
District of Sechelt chief administrative officer Rob Bremner explained that the land transaction - as every District land transaction - occurred in-camera, and that no procedural reason pushed the information, including the designation of the site, to be released until council resolved to do so at in camera meetings in January and February.
In an interview following the council meeting, Coun. Fred Taylor, who sits on the Sechelt Sewage Facilities Commission, said the commission is currently working towards five major capital projects: septage treatment at the Lower Dusty Road site; enlarging the sewer line along Wharf Street from Medusa Street to Ebbtide Street; a $1.5 million new, larger outside pipe to the Strait of Georgia; a new multi-million dollar sewage treatment plant, currently planned for the Lower Dusty Road site; and a replacement pipe plus sewer capacity building for the Sechelt Indian Government District.
Money has been secured for the first two projects, Taylor said, through co-operation with various levels of government. Currently, he said, tender is out for the enlargement of the Wharf Street sewer line, and consulting firm Urban Systems is creating a pre-design for a site that would incorporate septage treatment plus the future sewage treatment plant - all presumably for the Lower Dusty Road site.
"We're hoping that the consultants will provide us with a series of alternatives so we can assure that there is first-class technology so the plant does not impact the neighbouring residents," he said. "That's a concern."
As the projects move forward, Taylor said, the community will continue to have opportunities to contribute input at the commission's meetings and at Sechelt council as budget decisions come forward for approval. Beyond that, he said, Urban Systems will be holding a public meeting about the pre-design, likely before summer, where experts will be available to talk about alternative designs and technology.
