The Bonfire Music Festival at Ruby Lake Resort scheduled for mid-August is going ahead as planned. The festival organizers are caught in the middle of a rezoning application process between the resort owners and the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) to hold public assembly events at the amphitheatre. In addition, the SCRD is pursuing legal action against the resort for building bylaw infractions, chair John Rees said Wednesday, for the amphitheatre that was built without a permit.
"Barring anything being told to us as far as it being cancelled, we're just moving forward," festival director Keith Duggan said Wednesday. "While the process is going on it seems like it's just in limbo. Until a decision is made, the venue is just going by the status quo."
The rezoning process and official community plan amendment would eventually go to the Pender Harbour area planning commission, a public hearing and the regional board for approval.
"We hope that the people on the Sunshine Coast can accept us for this year," Duggan said. "We hope that it can happen and we hope that if it does happen, the local community will embrace it and come join us."
Rees would not comment further because of the legal action. The SCRD's bylaw enforcement officer also refused to comment.
Ruby Lake Resort owner Giorgio Cogrossi emphasized that the site became a watershed protection zone after the amphitheatre was built. The lack of a building permit was an oversight of the 27-member crew that built the amphitheatre, according to Cogrossi.
"We did it and now we want the public to support it," he said. "Whatever happened, happened. We're trying to fix it."
The owners have submitted the paperwork for the applications. An engineer and surveyor were recently on site."We are just doing exactly what they want and everything is in process," he said.
Another festival issue is noise complaints from neighbours on the lake. Duggan plans to bring in a decibel meter to measure sound from various distances.
"We're going to take every precaution that we can," Duggan said. "We don't want to cause trouble."
For information on the festival, visit www.bonfirefestival.com.
