Revisions to the George Hotel and Residences project are not slated to go to a new town public consultation process.
No zoning changes are requested and an additional public hearing is not required, Town of Gibsons' director of planning Lesley-Anne Staats confirmed at the Feb. 14 committee of the whole meeting.
She said that the proponents are “tweaking” the proposed development in their new application to replace a development permit and a request to extend a land exchange agreement with the municipality. Previous approvals for those expired in 2022. The town’s website states that council review of those submissions is to occur before the end of March.
“How does the public know this is happening," asked local resident Judith Bonkoff, who attended the meeting.
Mayor Silas White stated that the applications and accompanying staff report would be included on the publicly posted council agenda for that meeting. “Speaking for myself, I am going to expect a flood of input for and against any project like that, just like we have seen in the past," he said.
The mayor also noted that the developer had “expressed an interest in getting on an agenda at some point," but that no timing for that appearance had been set. He thanked Bonkoff for her input, which also included the suggestion that the matter be the subject of an upcoming town community dialogue session.
Public question raises the discussion
The committee meeting's agenda included “an opportunity for public input” on one item, 2022 fourth-quarter departmental reports. The reports included one from the planning department describing the George's proposed changes. It was Bonkoff's inquiry that raised discussions about the George in the meeting itself.
Back in January, Bonkoff organized a silent protest regarding the removal of a public inquiries period from council meetings. At the February committee meeting, Bonkoff raised the public inquiries concern again. Bonkoff asked how community views could be brought forward when items – such as revisions to the George proposal – are being considered without the opportunity for the public to speak at council meetings. Bonkoff also said that the George project needs to be considered in light of the climate change effects the town is facing.
Staats said that staff considered the George requests to be a "minor" adjustment and council would receive a report contrasting the new changes with what had previously been approved. The report from the planning department said proposed changes relate to an approximate one-storey height reduction and revised geotechnical recommendations for the residences, hotel and conference centre, restaurant and marina expansion.
Background
The original applications for the waterfront development, received by the Town in February 2013, are a decade old. The project first came before town council in July 2013. In 2015, official community plan and zoning amendments were approved for plans to add 39 residential apartments, a hotel and conference centre, with 116 guest suites along with restaurant facilities and a marina, at the site on Gower Point Road. Over the following three years, permits required to move forward with the project were issued.
In 2020, the developer requested and was granted extensions for the form and character development permit and land exchange agreement, which have since expired.
