Sechelt council heard early ponderings of an offer to build a reservoir and well system as community amenities as part of a development in West Sechelt.
The first phase of Grand Excelsior Investments’ The Trails development proposes 167 dwelling units – a mix of single-family detached homes, townhomes and apartments – on five hectares next to Acorn Road. The rest of the 123.7 ha development would be phased over two decades and include up to 700 more dwellings. A master plan for the entire development would come forward concurrent to the phase one rezoning, staff told council at its regular meeting June 7.
The project in line with the Official Community Plan, said a staff report.
The water amenities were just recently proposed to Sechelt and staff didn’t have any further information on quality or quantity, development planning manager Ian Holl told council.
Council opted to send the project for referrals with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), shíshálh Nation and Vancouver Coastal Health, given the water implications, not yet granting “permission to proceed” (a procedural precursor to investing staff and developer time on working on the rezoning bylaws).
In 2020, Sechelt gave Grand Excelsior “permission to proceed” on an early-stage proposal that saw the amalgamation of four lots and development of a “mixed residential community consisting of approximately 850 families.”
This plan is a refinement of the one given “permission to proceed” 2020, Gaetan Royer from consulting firm City State, said at the meeting.
Royer said a hydrologist’s study for the proposed wells and reservoir is under way and they propose to tap into two aquifers – 262 and 263. Once all is built, they plan to donate the new infrastructure and the land it’s on to the SCRD or Sechelt.
While there was general interest in the water aspect of the proposal, there was caution from Coun. Brenda Rowe. Rowe said that she was old enough to know that “nothing is free in this life” (in reference to Royer calling the infrastructure a gift, “free of charge”) but said she appreciated it.
Coun. Toth said he supported the “permission to proceed” in 2020 and he supports it now. “The SCRD knows that in the future it’s going to need a reservoir in West Sechelt,” said Toth. “This could easily be it.”
Coun. Dianne McLauchlan was against the development – for concerns of water and its distance from infrastructure and transportation, calling it “more sprawl.”
While Coun. Darren Inkster and Mayor John Henderson appeared to be in favour of the proposal, they voted against the motion to refer it to the three other agencies.
Henderson was worried about digging into details so early in the process and stalling the project on referrals – the potential for counter questions about quality and quantities before letters of support can be obtained. “This is the risk of the developer at this point,” he said.
Coun. Darren Inkster maintained that it is for Sechelt council to make the decisions. “We ask those groups for advice, reference and approvals.”
The motion passed with Rowe, Toth, Coun. Donna Bell, and Coun. Adam Shepherd in favour.
– With files from Sean Eckford
