Gibsons committee members recommended giving first reading to a duplex at 528 Marine Drive during its Sept. 25 committee of the whole.
Attempts have been made to build on the area before, in January 2023 a four-unit townhouse complex was denied by council and the land was sold to a new owner.
The application triggers four amendments, permits and exemptions.
An Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment redesignating the land to a brand new designation – residential waterfront from Multi-Unit Residential Special Character.
An amendment is proposed to change the zoning to a new residential waterfront zone from Comprehensive Development Area Zone 1.
As well as a development the duplex would also require a flood exemption to reduce the floodplain setback to 7.5 metres from 15 metres.
The three-storey duplex would have one three-bedroom unit and one four-bedroom unit.
Coun. Annemarie De Andrade asked if the new residential waterfront zoning and land use designation are only applicable in View Protection Sub Area D, which is where the property is.
Lesley-Ann Staats, Gibsons director of planning, clarified that the proposed amendments are specific to this lot, adding, “The idea is that, going forward, with the new OCP and the new Zoning Bylaw, it would be spread along the entire Marine Drive waterfront area.”
Coun. Christi Thompson asked what the lot size coverage was, noting a suggestion to reduce the lot size coverage to 75 per cent. Stats answered that it is at 77 per cent.
Coun. Stafford Lumley said this looks “way better” than the last projected building on the site.
“That got voted down because it was a massive wall. this doesn't look like that at all.”
Prefacing that council received many concerns about the previous proposal on this site, especially relating to height, Mayor Silas White said, “I can see and hear that a lot of work was done to to address those concerns in this, this new proposal … so I really appreciate that this proposal is addressing those concerns.”
Committee members recommended advancing the proposal to council for first reading.
As the proposal amends the OCP, a public hearing will be held on Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m.
The committee also moved to refer the proposal to the Advisory Design Panel for input on the development permit for form and character.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
