A project that has been in the planning for more than six years broke ground in West Sechelt earlier this month. Site preparation work is under way at Trellis Seniors Care Services’ Silverstone site and a District of Sechelt building permit has been issued for the planned 136-bed residential care facility.
Sechelt’s communication manager Lindsay Vickers confirmed via email that the permit’s cost was more than $200,000.
In response to a question about Sechelt’s management approach to the development, she wrote that “Trellis is a large project that includes many people from both the Planning Department and the Engineering and Operations Department, including of course, the Chief Building Official. Things were streamlined by the integration of an online permitting system that came into play as this project was going through.
“For next steps, the building officials will work with the applicant and their appointed coordinating registered professional to ensure compliance with the BC Building Code and District Building bylaw. This is a really great project for the community in terms of providing jobs and housing and we’re looking forward to working with builder and developer to get it built smoothly.”
During the May 11 Sechelt committee of the whole meeting, director of planning, Andrew Allen noted that the forms for the structure’s foundation had been put in place. He estimated the build out of the facility will likely take 18 to 24 months, depending on how labour and supply chain issues affect the project.
Trellis’ did not respond to Coast Reporter’s inquiries for an update on the project’s timeline.
Location – a moving target
Discussions about the construction of a new facility to replace Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH) seniors care beds currently housed at Totem Lodge and Shorncliffe launched in 2016. A number of public sessions were hosted to discuss options. A major sticking point for advocacy group Protect Public Health Care and others was VCH’s resolve to have new beds constructed and operated by the private sector.
Between 2017 and 2020, the proposed location of the new facility changed from Sechelt, to Gibsons, to the shíshálh Nation’s ts'uḵw'um lands, and back to Sechelt and the Derby Road and Cowrie Street location.
That site required rezoning to accommodate care facility use. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions around in-person gatherings, the public hearing for the zoning amendment bylaw was one of the first to be held virtually by the District of Sechelt.
