An overflow audience at Sechelt's March 16 council meeting left angrily muttering the words, "remember November" and "good luck getting votes," after council decided to give second and third reading to a zoning bylaw amendment to allow Synergy Homes to build a 25-lot cluster housing development in Selma Park.
The plan was voted down by council Feb. 9 after hearing public outcry over the proposal. Then on Feb. 16, councillors argued they did not understand that the proponent could go ahead with an alternative plan that fit within the current R1 zoning -a plan that would be given approval by the director of planning without input from council.
The lack of council control was worrisome, so council decided to bring the original cluster housing proposal back for another look March 16. News of the agenda item brought dozens of residents out to see what council would do with the contentious plan.
Director of planning Ray Parfitt laid out the development's long history with the District that began with a rezoning application in 2008 for a 26-unit subdivision. After public input, that original plan was changed and in January 2009 a revised plan was put forward for the 25-unit cluster housing development now slated for Selma Park between Pam Road and Snodgrass Road.
"The development permit application was filed in April of 2010, so there's been a 14-month hiatus where there was very little action on the file. The developer was doing work on this development permit and we weren't dealing with the application at all," Parfitt said.
The process finally seemed to find some closure on March 16, when council voted five to two to grant second and third reading of the zoning bylaw amendment. Councillors Warren Allan and Alice Janisch were opposed, while Fred Taylor, Alice Lutes, Ann Kershaw, Keith Thirkell and Mayor Darren Inkster were in favour of letting the proposal move forward.
The two readings were passed quickly with no public debate and a stunned audience left council chambers visibly upset right after the vote.
The proposal will have to come back for fourth reading before any building can take place. The District does not know when fourth reading will be scheduled, however, as the developer will now need to file a subdivision application, which will then be referred out for comments. The developer must also agree to a number of conditions that will be laid out by the District, such as road and intersection upgrades.
