The Pender Harbour Ocean Discovery Station (PODS) is one vote away from getting the go ahead to start construction after the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) voted to give third reading to zoning and Official Community Plan (OCP) bylaw amendments, with some conditions.
The unanimous vote, which took place at the June 27 board meeting, would see the area’s OCP designation change from Tourist Commercial to Public Use and Utilities, and the zoning bylaw amendments from C3 Zone, or general commercial, to PA1D Zone, or research and assembly, to make way for the research facilities operations.
At a June 13 planning committee meeting, directors voted to move ahead with consideration of third reading at the board, with the condition that the applicant enter into a covenant with the SCRD so that a minimum of 39 off-street parking spaces be provided in “suitably-zoned locations other than the subject parcel,” and that shuttle services be provided between those locations whenever the auditorium is open.
“It’s been an amazing team effort,” PODS executive director Michael Jackson told Coast Reporter following the vote.
The board is expected to vote this month on adoption of the amendments.
