Changes to a zoning bylaw that will allow redevelopment of the Langdale ferry terminal are ready to be brought to the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board for a vote on third reading, and adoption.
The bylaw would create a Marine Transportation Zone. The terminal is zoned as Water One and Residential One. As a marine transportation zone, the property could be used to for vessels, planes and helicopters. It would also allow Ferries to build a new facility for foot passengers, retail and food services, more parking and a park. Buildings and structures such as berths will have a maximum height of 20 and 25 metres, respectively.
Earlier in the process, SCRD staff recommended the regional district secure access to the Langdale Well, while letting BC Ferries use of part of the land for parking through a formal agreement.
Staff also recommended keeping the land Ferries leases from the Ministry of Transportation for overflow parking separate from any new zoning.
BC Ferries requested the other major change –removing staff accommodation as a permitted use.
About a half-dozen members of the public attended the Feb. 21 public hearing on the zoning application at Eric Cardinal Hall.
There were no questions from the public, but Roberts Creek director Mark Lebbell, who chaired the hearing, asked SCRD staff how “we ended up with a ferry terminal in areas zoned as residential.”
Senior planner David Rafael speculated that because BC Ferries was a provincial agency at the time the terminal was built, the SCRD was less concerned about having zoning match what the province was using land for, and the provincial operations could override zoning.
Manager of planning and development Andrew Allen added that “10 or 12 years ago when BC Ferries became a little bit separate from the government, items relating to directly loading and unloading the vessel and operations are exempt, but buildings and structures are now subject to zoning.”
West Howe Sound director Ian Winn called the Langdale terminal development an “evolutionary process,” of which the zoning plays one small part.
Another part of the evolution is the redevelopment of the Horseshoe Bay terminal, and last week the SCRD received a request from BC Ferries for feedback on how best to engage people about its plan.
SCRD staff recommended that BC Ferries also engage with the Skwxwú7mesh Nation, Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Organization (SCREDO), youth sporting associations, a social services provider (Sunshine Coast Community Services), the Sunshine Coast Seniors Planning Table, a representative from the islands’ residents, Sunshine Coast Chambers of Commerce, Vancouver Coastal Health and BC Ambulance Service.
SCRD directors said efforts should be made to be age inclusive, to make venues accessible for those who don’t drive, for childcare to be made available, to keep the process as transparent to the public as possible, and for engagement activities to coincide with community events at Gibsons, Sechelt and other Coast communities.
They also suggested the terminal design should focus on “achieving frequent, reliable, on-time service” and it should be age-friendly and efficient for all travellers, including foot passengers, cyclists and vehicles.
SCRD directors Jeremy Valeriote, Town of Gibsons, Frank Mauro, Pender Harbour and Egmont, and Garry Nohr, Halfmoon Bay, will represent the SCRD at terminal redevelopment engagement activities. The board agreed to invite BC Ferries to make a presentation on the project at an upcoming committee meeting.
BC Ferries hopes to begin construction at Langdale in early 2019.
