SSC Properties is paying $75 an hour for a planner at the District of Sechelt to deal strictly with the company’s proposal in an effort to move it forward to public hearing.
Mayor Bruce Milne said having the company pick up the cost of a dedicated planner at the district is “the norm in these situations” where large projects require more time and attention from staff.
Proponents of the 170-hectare SSC Properties project between Sandy Hook and Porpoise Bay Provincial Park in Sechelt have been working to get to a public hearing for about three years now, according to general manager Werner Hofstätter, and he’s hopeful the dedicated planner will help. The company also cancelled all its summer events in an effort to dedicate more time to the process.
Hofstätter said the biggest issue with the plan getting through the process seems to be its sheer size and variety of residential, retail and institutional types – however, the project can’t be broken into bite-sized chunks, so it’s been hard for planners and council to digest.
“Because this is one large comprehensive development we have to get the whole thing rezoned as one unit,” Hofstätter said.
“I know that this council, at this point in time, realizes that this is a big decision to make and they’re being very careful to make sure that they don’t make a mistake.”
While the district has asked for more detailed plans to make things clearer, Hofstätter said the company believes it has already provided the information.
“The planner has a list of requirements that she has been talking to the council about and we’re working through that list with her to try to remind her of all of the work that has already been done,” Hofstätter said.
“The very first thing we did when we took over this project was we had a complete new environmental review, we had the geotechnical work updated, we’ve done an ecological study of the whole site. We’ve, of course, had the traffic study updated. So we’ve provided a lot of information and at this point it’s really a matter of them getting back to us and saying ‘this is the last piece we need.’”
When asked this week what is needed, Milne said there is still a lot outstanding.
SSC Properties has to address issues of trees being removed from the site and works being done without a permit, provide more detail on the layout of the proposal, identify where park lands will be situated, clear up what community amenities it plans to offer and clear up phasing of the project through a “concrete phasing scheme.”
“I will not claim that this is an exhaustive review of what is outstanding for SSC. However, it does reflect the current status of the file,” Milne said.
“The contracted planner has reported directly to council in a closed session. The gist of that report was that this is a complex file that requires careful management.”
The SSC Properties plan calls for a mix of residential development including affordable housing, seniors housing and artisan live/work areas. It also proposes a beachfront shopping area, a new high school, an agricultural area, an eco-education and adventure centre and a boutique style hotel/resort.
Find out more at www.sscproperties.com
