Oceanmount Boulevard residents will get a chance to suggest tweaks to the design of the Town of Gibsons’s well 6 pumphouse. Construction is set to start in March, within five feet of the property line of single-family residences.
At the meeting, council awarded a construction contract valued at $1.16 million to Industra Construction for the $1.54 million project. It asked staff to set up a meeting with the neighbourhood within the next two to three weeks and before construction begins on the project. The new pumphouse is slated to be completed before this summer.
Neighbourhood concerns about that building's form and character, view impacts, noise potential and landscaping were raised by resident Phil Dubrulle during the meeting’s inquiry period. He took exception with the town making project drawings available to the public after the tender award and with being advised by staff that “residents might, at best, expect minor amendments to the design once the project tender was awarded." He said that was “not an appropriate sequence of events” and asked for the deferral of the contract award until after consultation with the neighbours. A petition supporting his position was forwarded to council before the meeting.
While concerned that discussions with neighbours were being held after project approval, Mayor Bill Beamish said “we cannot walk away from the tendering process. That would have costs and we know that the well is not going to go somewhere else.”
Council agreed that an earlier response to community concerns would have been preferred. Director of engineering Dave Newman noted that planning for the project had been discussed publicly over the past three years. Project information was delivered door to door in the impacted neighbourhood and he said little feedback was received. He explained that the design of the pumphouse will reflect the character of the surrounding neighbourhood, with a peaked roof and siding. It will be built large enough to accommodate the equipment for well 6 and a proposed future well in the area.
Newman said that funds are available within the approved project budget to make some adjustments to the design. Beamish stated that if changes requested by the area residents cause the project to exceed that budget, council could consider funding those costs from another source.
In his presentation at the meeting, Newman said that well 6 will produce the highest volume of any of the town’s wells and will be able to maintain water supply to the community should one of the other wells have to be taken offline. He also noted that by completing the project before this summer, Gibsons will have additional well capacity to assist the regional district with its water needs should that be required.
Development permit area changes on hold
Council referred proposed changes to development permit areas back to committee for further discussion. Amendments made at a two-hour committee meeting held Feb. 1 to include wording related to the goals of the Atl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Reserve into regulations for town development permit areas 1 and 2 were assessed as needing additional clarification.
Permanent patio for Tapworks Brewing supported
Support for Tapworks Brewing’s application to the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch to keep its outdoor patio received council’s endorsement. The outdoor serving space was authorized under a temporary program during the COVID-19 pandemic. If granted approval to make it permanent by the province, the patio at the Cruice Lane establishment will be slightly relocated but will accommodate the same number of patrons as the temporary site.
In public input called for in advance of council’s consideration endorsing the patio continue as a long-term part of the operation, 23 submissions in support and three in opposition were received. Coun. David Croal noted that many of the indications of support came from people who did not live in the community or near the Tapworks’ site, but that all of the opposed indicated that they lived nearby.
Time out called
Council agreed to table four agenda items given that the meeting had continued until 9:18 p.m. and an In Camera session was scheduled to follow. The next regular meeting of Gibsons council is scheduled for March 1.
