The following are briefs from the Sept. 6 regular council meeting.
The washrooms are built but Snickett Park has yet to receive its much-anticipated throne room.
Council approved an $83,000 budget increase (funded through the COVID-19 restart grant) for the park’s washroom project, bringing the project budget up to $465,500. Staff credited the budget rise to unanticipated archaeological costs (“this site returned significant findings that increased the archaeological component of the project,” said the staff report) as well as inflation in costs since the initial 2020 budget request. Council heard that the Urbaloo facility is built but has not been installed because of the archaeological and civil work delays.
The Trail Bay Seawalk Improvement Project, funded through a Tourism Dependent Community Fund grant, was supposed to include three mobile vendor pads, but that aspect was removed because of cost escalations. Further project allocations for art, benches and bear-proof garbage cans were reduced by $18,000, said the staff report.
While council approved the request, members made comments about the burdens of cost escalations on taxpayers.
Next at the Blue Heron
A development permit to turn the site of the former Blue Heron restaurant into guest accommodation was given the council nod.
Redevelopment of the 5591 Delta Road structure would see a 31 square metre addition to the second floor – but no overall change in footprint as a building corner encroaching on shíshálh Nation lands is to be removed. The renovations are expected to create five guest suites and include the creation of shared cooking facilities, a dining room, a meeting room and gym facilities.
The site is within Development Permit Areas 3: Marine, Foreshore, and Shoreline Areas and 9: Commercial Areas (Outside Downtown).
No new structures are to be built within the existing non-conforming foreshore setback but repairs to the existing deck would be allowed.
Code of conduct
Council adopted its new code of conduct bylaw and remuneration amendment bylaw. The new code replaces a previously existing policy for council members’ comportment in their official capacities.
Mayor’s message
The Sept. 6 meeting came the same day as news from the Sunshine Coast Regional District that the Chapman Water System was starting Stage 4 restrictions and as the Sechelt Community Association Forum gave a presentation on a survey of residents’ priorities, which highlighted frustration with water-related communications (technical audio issues meant the virtual audience missed some of this presentation).
In a follow-up letter to the community, Mayor John Henderson called for “the SCRD to provide much more data on our full ‘water picture,’” including details about supply and environmental flow need reduction progress. He also called for urgent decisive short-term action on water despite provincial approval delays.
