Sechelt hopes to reopen VIC in March
The District of Sechelt has issued a call for a new operator to take over the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) at the Seaside Centre.
The Community Services Society, which had been running the VIC under a contract valued at around $56,000 per year, decided to give up the contract to focus on other areas.
The VIC has been closed since Dec. 31.
In a call for proposals posted late last week, the District of Sechelt said it was looking for an operator to run the VIC from March 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019, “with the option for a one-year extension at the discretion of the District.”
The successful bidder will be responsible for all staff and volunteers, including hiring, wages, and supervision.
They will also be responsible for ensuring core services such as greeting visitors and giving them “accurate, helpful, detailed information about Sechelt, local services, and attractions,” as well as encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore “Sechelt and Sunshine Coast experiences.”
They’ll also have to track visitor data and meet the terms of the agreement with Destination BC.
Bids close at 2 p.m. Jan. 31.
Campground looks to add motel
The owners of a private campground in Wilson Creek have applied to the District of Sechelt to add a 10-room motel.
The motel rooms would be part of a 340-sq.-metre (3,660-sq.-ft) addition to the existing office at the Creekside Campground, which is owned by Sunshine Coast Campground Group Ltd.
The property is already designated tourist/commercial and properly zoned for motels and campgrounds, but because it sits on the banks of Wilson Creek in an area identified as having potential flood hazards, the owners will need a development permit for “watercourse habitat and hazards” as well as a development permit for form and character.
A report for the Advisory Planning Commission said the new construction will be outside the riparian area, but “a streamside protection area will have to be clearly demarcated before construction activities begin.”
Sechelt’s planning department also said the proposed extension to the existing building would integrate well with the community and surrounding land uses and adding a motel could potentially lead to more employment opportunities.
The report also noted that the applicant is proposing to connect to the shíshálh Indian Government District’s sewer system.
