Sechelt council has approved the development permits for a multi-unit project planned for a steeply sloped area on the shores of Porpoise Bay.
The West Porpoise Bay Estates project came out of RTC Properties’ 2016 purchase of an earlier development that was foreclosed. In 2017 RTC came to the district with a proposal for six buildings with 80 units that would require a height variance, which the council of the day was not prepared to approve.
Last December the developers came back with a new proposal that would not need height variances, but would require “a more extensive excavation to lower the buildings on the site and reduces the average natural grade.”
Council deferred a vote on the revised proposal, asking staff to work with the developer on outstanding concerns around meeting the requirements of the steep-slope development permit area (DPA 5).
In her report to council, director of planning Tracy Corbett called DPA 5 the one that “is of most concern to this application” and said “there are aspects of this development proposal that are not in alignment with OCP policy and Development Permit Area (DPA) guidelines due to the nature of the steep slopes.”
Corbett recommended several conditions be included in the development permits to address issues with DPA 5, including that the property be developed in accordance with information, analysis and recommendations made in a geo-technical report from 2017 and follow-ups from the district in 2018.
Coun. Matt McLean, who’s raised concerns about both the project’s height and the proposal to build deeper into the slope, said he was still not convinced.
“This is a very large development that’s questionable in my mind,” McLean said. “It’s just so steep... I’m not seeing a whole lot of effort under this proposal to mitigate some of these issues on the slope, and that gives me great pause.”
Mayor Darnelda Siegers acknowledged it’s a “difficult site,” but also noted the site is properly zoned for a multi-family project.
“If this site had not been pre-zoned it would not be in front of us right now,” she said. “I want to commend council for asking for lots of information and doing due diligence… Staff and the developer have brought forward a lot of information so we can look at areas that are within our purview to determine.”
The work will also include blasting, and Coun. Alton Toth suggested increasing the zone for doing site surveys from 50 metres to 75 metres to take in more of the surrounding properties, and Coun. Eric Scott asked for a notice on title to be added to indicate the property is near a water aerodrome. Scott, who works for Harbour Air, said adding such notices is becoming common practice so potential buyers know aircraft will be landing and taking off in the area.
With those changes the development permits passed, with only McLean opposed.
Neighbours from the surrounding strata have complained to council about the project in the past, and even submitted a petition opposing it. Wednesday night, during the public Q&A after the meeting, one resident said “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people are now going to have their lives disrupted by blasting” and their homes exposed to potential damage for the sake of 80 units because of council’s decision.
