Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) executive director Suzanne Senger challenged Gibsons council about why a Jan. 19 agenda didn’t include a report about possible tree removal at the Gospel Rock development.
Senger spoke during a public inquiry period, questioning why a report wasn’t included in the open portion of the meeting, and whether it was part of an in-camera session scheduled that evening.
Mayor Bill Beamish declined to comment on the contents of the closed meeting, since doing so is not the practice of council, adding, “the issue has not been forgotten.”
Senger noted the requests made by councillors at the previous Jan. 5 regular council meeting for a discussion and report detailing the possible tree removal be brought forward at a future council meeting.
At that time, Beamish said there was “significant public interest.”
At the Jan. 19 meeting, Senger asked whether the issue would be publicly addressed.
Beamish replied, “At some point, I’m sure it will be,” adding after walking the area he wasn’t as concerned.
“Yes, there were decisions made by the developer, the stop work order is still in place, and they are working with staff. I didn’t see swaths of cutting through the conservation area,” he said.
Coun. Stafford Lumley said a group had been removing tags from trees. “The covenant has been registered, there were flags up there and people were removing them,” he said, and suggested the SCCA speak with the developer about that issue.
Senger said the conservation covenant had not yet been registered.
CAO Emanuel Machado referred Senger to the Town’s webpage dedicated to the Gospel Rock development.
The site says a covenant was registered to protect the Conservation Area and other environmentally sensitive areas on Aug. 28, 2020 and that the property owners are negotiating terms for managing the conservation area with a third party. “The Town is not a party to these negotiations and has not yet received a copy of the agreement.”
A stop work order at the development site was issued Dec. 21 by the Town after it appeared that one tree in a protected buffer zone was removed and two in the Conservation Area were damaged. The Town said a buffer zone at the edge of the protected area had been flagged at five metres instead of 10, as specified in the Development Permit.
On Jan. 22, the Town of Gibsons told Coast Reporter that following its investigation it determined that two trees had sustained broken branches, one tree sustained “minor scarring” and there were no trees cut in the root protection buffer zone.
The Town said the stop work order will remain in place “until conditions set out by staff have been met. The developer is actively working to meet these conditions, and has been cooperative with staff.”
