Sechelt council has the public approval it needs to move ahead with a loan authorization bylaw to borrow up to $3 million to build a new parks operation and public works building on Dusty Road.
At least 10 per cent of eligible voters, or 860 people in Sechelt, would have needed to submit response forms objecting to the bylaw for the alternative approval process (AAP) to fail. The AAP passed with 509 response forms submitted.
The deadline for submission was Feb. 26. The results were published in a staff report as part of the regular council meeting agenda set for March 17, and the district announced results in a March 12 release.
In the release, Mayor Darnelda Siegers thanked the community members who got involved in the process “because it raised awareness of this project in the community and helped us share the need for this new building.”
Director of engineering and operations Kirn Dhillon said the new centre would be a “real boost in morale for the district’s essential workers,” adding, “the district made great efforts to be transparent in the need for this facility and residents responded with support.
“What we learned about open and transparent communication during this process is a valuable lesson we will apply to other projects,” he said.
By law the district was required to inform the public about the AAP, which ran from mid-January. Statutory notices were published in local newspapers and information was included on the district’s website and on social media.
Additionally, a Facebook Live event was held to provide a tour of the existing facilities, with 845 views as of March 15.
Supporters and detractors of the project expressed their views through letters to Coast Reporter. Some argued the need for an improved centre was inevitable and construction should happen sooner than later to avoid higher costs down the road. Others described the project, estimated to cost $3.8 million, as “a Taj Mahal at the top of Dusty Road,” and objected to the cost and taxpayer burden.
Council is expected to adopt the loan authorization bylaw at the March 17 council meeting. Pending approval from the Inspector of Municipalities, council will consider options for borrowing to move ahead with construction.
The new operations centre has been planned for the district’s operations yard at 5400 Dusty Rd. and will include an equipment bay, work bays, office space, a mezzanine and other meeting spaces, with a needs assessment recommending the facility be 1,000 sq. metres, according to the district’s website.
Since 2012, 18 staff have worked in portable offices and tents, says the district.
