The Sechelt Downtown Business Association (SDBA) is ready to move forward on a couple of projects that could change the look of Cowrie Street.
A report going to Sechelt council on July 15 says the SDBA has been given $3,500 from the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET) for street patios on Cowrie.
The group had applied for $6,000 in funding and Sechelt council passed a motion saying it would provide $4,000 to help the SDBA with the necessary matching funds. The SDBA would contribute $2,000.
The district funding would come from the council contingency account, which has a current balance of $10,000.
Council is being asked to decide if it will still contribute the original $4,000 or change the amount, and to approve a licence of occupation, which would allow the patios to be built over two parking spots at the north and south ends of the rainbow crosswalk on Cowrie.
The SDBA has also confirmed in a letter to council that it will be using part of a $10,000 Rural Dividend grant it received from the province in 2019 to install new signage on Cowrie.
The original grant was to study how best to create to a system of “wayfinding” signage, including signs on the highway listing amenities in Sechelt and signs for walking routes and points of historical interest downtown.
The proposal has been completed and the SDBA said the province has approved using $3,900 of the original $10,000 grant to install the signs on Cowrie.
In its letter, the SDBA said it’s open to feedback from council on the design, which would be “carried out throughout Sechelt once funding for the remaining signage is received.”
It’s also asking the district to waive any fees and provide some in-kind support from the parks department for the Cowrie Street entrance sign.
“This signage will be beneficial as it will be directing visitors to Downtown Sechelt to shop at our local businesses, which is crucial given the current challenges due to COVID-19,” SDBA executive director Theressa Logan said.
