The following letter was submitted to Sechelt council and copied to Coast Reporter
We strongly oppose amending the current bylaw allowing industrial use on property as Lot L.
We don’t wish this property subdivided nor sold to anyone. It was paid for by taxpayers and should remain an asset belonging to the District of Sechelt’s future use.
The previous council purchased Lot L planning to build a bio-solids plant on it as the current leased facility for septic tank dumping expires in 2031, and then building the sewage treatment plant beside it as funding became available.
The current council instead built the sewage plant at the old Ebbtide site and moved the public works yard to Lot L, using almost two hectares. There’s still room for the replacement bio-solids plant on the rest of the property, but council wants to rezone it, making it sub-dividable, opening the door to creating the possibility of selling.
No answers are forthcoming as to where trucks will dump septage when the Dusty Road lease expires. Will septage be pumped out at Ebbtide? Septage smells when being pumped!
Retaining Lot L as public land for future needs is logical. Maybe having all municipal departments in one location without spending any more money. If we sell Lot L now, where will we be able to find replacement land and at what cost when needed?
There isn’t a need to change the current official community plan if ownership of the land remains ours since it identifies the future land use as “civic institutional and utilities” and includes public utilities/infrastructure such as municipal-office, works-yard, etc.
Please, listen to the people for once in your remaining term of office. We are not alone in opposing rezoning and potentially selling any part of Lot L.
Betty-Anne and
Sandor Pap, Sechelt
