About 60 people came out on Tuesday night to have their say on a proposed development in West Sechelt - Trail Bay Estates - and not one comment was in favour of the development as it stands.
Those in attendance at the public hearing at the Seaside Centre cited issues around road access to the development, lack of a comprehensive development plan, inability of Sechelt's infrastructure to support such a development, the haste with which the development came to council and a donation of college lands seemingly contingent on the development's approval.
Trail Bay Estates (District Lot 1385) lies north of the Sunshine Coast Highway in West Sechelt. The entire property is about 33 hectares long, although the developer is looking at building on the lower 15 hectares at this point.Phase one of the entire 33-acre development is before council now and proposes 114 single-family lots and 61 multi-family units on the lower 15 hectares.
Because a comprehensive development plan has not been undertaken by the developer, there are no specifics of what the development would look like.
In a March 7, 2006 staff report, staff noted they felt the need for a comprehensive development plan; however, the developer thought the plan was "premature" and said a plan will be prepared with the "planning of subsequent phases of the property."
Other issues were raised in that report. Staff had concerns over uphill and adjacent drainage and utility servicing of subsequent phases that they felt should be considered in the phase one design.
They also noted the developer cleared the subject property in August 2005 without undertaking an environmental assessment and said, "The developer's planning report links the approval of this development to the donation of a college site. Furthermore, the stated acreage is less than that originally proposed."
Trail Bay Estates is owned by the Clayton family, who, along with the Sangara family, signed a memorandum of understanding in March of this year to donate approximately 47 acres in total to the District in trust for an expanded college site, said planner Ray Parfitt.
The Claytons would provide 20 acres while the Sangaras, who have a larger piece of property in the area, would provide 27 acres, according to Sechelt Mayor Cam Reid.
Those at the public hearing chastised council for considering approval of the site to get the donated land and questioned the actual size of donation.
"I am chair of the community advisory committee at Capilano College and I've been involved in this 40, 47, 13, however you want to look at it, acre donation, and it struck me the entire time that it was actually rather sleazy," Sechelt resident Gail Riddell said, after questioning Parfitt on documents she claims to have seen that show a 13-acre college donation.
She said the developer seems to be using the donation as "a way to get smaller lot sizes and setbacks."
Many echoed Riddell's statement. However, Reid said the college lands were not the subject of the public hearing and refused to debate the subject, to the anger of many in attendance.
Some spoke of their concern for the safety of students at Chatelech Secondary School as access to the site is currently up Cowrie Street past the high school.
"One of these days something really tragic is going to happen with those huge trucks trying to get through that area that is so congested with kids and traffic already," one man said.
Developers plan to construct Barnacle Road to access the site once approval is given. The site will also be able to be accessed by the proposed new highway bypass on the books with the Ministry of Highways. That bypass would extend the road straight from the top of the Langdale hill along the power lines and into West Sechelt.
Some spoke of infrastructure concerns saying the near-capacity sewer system in Sechelt can't handle more development and many spoke of the need for more vision in Sechelt.
"I don't see the entire hillside filled with a concrete Barbie-and-Ken-doll housing development as the way to move forward. I think it's a retrofit move and I feel extremely sad about what's happening here. The lack of process and the lack of vision is very sad and we're paying tax dollars for a visioning committee that doesn't have anything left to vision," Riddell said.
Others noted the need for this proposal to go to the new Sechelt visioning committee; however, Reid has previously said the committee is not looking at developments already "in the pipeline."
Some felt Trail Bay Estates was rushed through to first reading and public hearing to bypass the visioning committee, though Reid denied the allegation.
After attendees at the May 30 public hearing had their chance to speak, the hearing was adjourned without a single comment of approval for the project.
Council will now wait for a staff report on the meeting, including all the written submissions received at the District, and then decide whether to move it forward or send it back to the developer for changes.
