Gibsons residents packed into council chambers Tuesday night for the continuation of a public hearing for a zoning amendment bylaw to allow for a new 10-unit condo development along the waterfront.
The hearing started on Aug. 1, but was adjourned that evening after the hearing pushed into the regularly scheduled council meeting.
Almost everyone spoke against the project on Tuesday night citing concerns with increased parking, added congestion in the area, the height of the building not conforming to the "scenic, intimate village-style atmosphere" of the area and the developers' lack of following current Official Community Plan (OCP) bylaws.
Most of the presenters did however say they were not against development at that site, just the size and scope of this particular project.
Before opening the floor to comments, director of corporate administration Jim Gordon read out five letters from residents who could not attend the hearing. All were against the development in its current form.
"I'm opposed to the height variance to this development as it will not sit well with the other buildings in the area," said former Coun. Andrea Goldsmith in her letter. "The quaint, little town we all love and enjoy would be destroyed by this development. If council allows this amendment to take place it would set a precedent for other developers to come along and forever change the Landing forever."
A Marine Drive resident wrote that since there is zoning in place those bylaws should be maintained and respected.
"This development benefits only the developer and no one else in the town," Marion Wilkinson said in her letter. "Traffic and congestion is already a problem in this area. What's going to happen if this development proceeds?"
"The traffic issue is not just a parking issue -it's a safety issue," said Suzanne Senger a Marine Drive property owner during her presentation. "I take the bus, walk or skateboard everywhere, so I feel I have an intimate relationship to traffic and the feel of Lower Gibsons. I feel strongly that if the design was scaled down to six units, it would cut down on the traffic and the potential for accidents. Less density for a community with a conscious vision is something we can all be proud of."
South Fletcher resident Graham Walker said he would like to see development as long as it can be an asset to the town.
"I'm not opposed to apartments if it is done properly," Walker said. "I realize the developers have done a lot of work, but this is not the kind of project that is viable or suitable for this area."
Former Coun. Kenan MacKenzie was one of the few who spoke in favour.
"I'm the listing realtor for the property. When I first saw the development I was quite impressed by it," said MacKenzie. "I worked very closely on the OCP when I was on council and I feel this development meets or exceeds guidelines set out by our OCP. I love Gibsons and I love living here. I think this project represents the community very well and this goes a long way to maintaining that small charm were looking for in development."
Seaview Road resident Ken Sinnott, who wrote a letter to the Town that was presented at the start of the hearing on Aug. 1, appeared Tuesday to also speak in favour of the development.
"The word precedent setting has been mentioned several times tonight. When a quality development comes forward council should allow it to happen. If you don't then that's precedent setting as well," he said. "We have a developer that has gone through a lot of pain to get this done. It's a quality development and my fear is if this were turned down what would we get? That scares me more than letting this go. I urge you to support this."
Council now has a number of options. They can reject the proposal in its current form, ask for more information and set another public hearing, or give the bylaw second and third reading then final adoption at subsequent council meetings. Council should release its decision at the next council meeting on Sept. 5.
