Stockwell Sand and Gravel has abandoned its plans to secure a temporary use permit for a concrete batch plant and instead are looking for an official community plan and zoning bylaw amendment to allow it.
In a staff report on the project it was noted that the amendments make more sense than a temporary use permit "because of the high capital investment and long term nature of the enterprise."
The Stockwells are seeking a rezoning of approximately 4.04 hectares of land within their 16-hectare gravel pit located in East Porpoise Bay and accessed from Allen Road.
They want to see the land zoned I-2, which would permit mineral, sand and gravel extraction, production of ready-mix concrete and manufacturing of asphalt and concrete products.
The I-2 zoning regulates height and setbacks, but doesn't regulate plant size or scale of operation.
The plant Stockwell Sand and Gravel plans to use has a production capacity of 100 tons an hour.
The company is proposing a "state of the art" concrete batch plant complete with a vacuum system for recycling dust back into the batch plant and recycling of wastewater.
The company also states there could be up to 10 jobs generated from the new plant and said they hope to "create a competitive market for ready-mixed concrete manufacturing, sales and delivery to construction sites on the Sunshine Coast."
Sechelt councillors at the March 28 committee of the whole meeting gave the project some consideration with mixed reviews.
"I am personally in favour of taking this forward to first reading and getting the public hearing started," said Coun. Chris Moore. "I think there's a lot more people who want to be heard about it, and I like the intent in terms of job creation. I think competition's good on the Coast, particularly with a product as costly as concrete."
Coun. Tom Lamb was less impressed with the proposal, however. "This is one of the ones I guess I'm really, really struggling with," he said.
He noted he sees the two current suppliers of concrete on the Coast, Gibsons Ready Mix and Swanson's, already servicing the same areas and suggested a third concrete provider would just result in more shuffling of the available business.
"The big thing for us as council is we have to provide a solid foundation for the businesses and community that we live in and you know we just have to make good decisions," Lamb said.
When the question was called about sending the proposal to council for first reading, all but Lamb were in favour.
Mayor John Henderson and Coun. Alice Lutes were absent from the meeting at the time of the vote, as was Coun. Mike Shanks, who left the room, stating a perceived bias.
