Coun. Matt McLean failed to get a car share vehicle in addition to the car share parking spot offered as a condition for approval of bylaws for the Telus Living six-storey commercial and residential building on Inlet Avenue.
“Car sharing has the ability to reduce the dependence on cars but a car sharing spot doesn’t, they need a car to come in with that spot, I would like to see the developer provide an actual car and I think that should be a condition of adoption to mitigate some of the parking concerns being brought forward,” McLean said.
Other councillors did not support McLean’s proposed addition nor his suggestion that the bylaw be referred back to staff for further negotiations with the applicant. Staff advised council that funding for a car-share vehicle may be able to be obtained by using part of the project’s community amenity contribution funds or through a grant from some other source.
Council endorsed third reading of the bylaws for the project at the meeting. Consideration of bylaw adoption is contingent on approval of a form and character development permit and a housing agreement to ensure the up to 60 apartments remain as market rental housing. Also, the developer must pay Sechelt community amenity contributions of $1,500 per apartment starting with the 20th unit and address the recommendations made in the projects traffic impact assessment.
Small lot zoning on Nickerson Road approved
It took less than two weeks for Everbrite Ventures to satisfy conditions for its proposal to rezone two larger residential properties to create 12 smaller lots on West Sechelt’s Nickerson Road. Council adopted the zoning bylaw for the redevelopment, which will also need a development permit to proceed. Initial readings were provided by council on Feb. 2.
The new minimum lot size permitted will be 500 square meters, with a minimum width of 14 meters.
Fines for ignoring stop work orders coming
Council gave three readings to a bylaw amendment that will allow the municipality to issue fine for non-compliance with stop work orders posted by its building inspectors. Such orders are issued for violations of Sechelt’s building bylaw, including undertaking construction without a permit. The earliest opportunity for Council to consider adopting this bylaw will be at its March 2 meeting. Once adopted, ignoring a stop work order could result in a fine of $400 for each day that a violation continues.
Grant application for West Porpoise Bay sewer
Despite concerns voiced about the steep $1.35 million price estimate to provide mains to allow 26 properties on South Gale and Fairway Avenues as well as Lookout Lane and Harbour Way to connect to sanitary sewer, Council endorsed applying for a $990,000 grant for that project. If successful in receiving funding, Sechelt will spend $360,000 from its 2023/2024 sewer reserves to complete this work.
No council support for health-based approach to the Substance Use Act
Council agreed not to respond to a request from the Village of Cumberland to write letters of support for a federal private members bill. The proposed legislation would amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and enact the Expungement of Certain Drug-related Convictions Act as well as the National Strategy on Substance Use Act. The group supported McLean’s statement that he preferred that council “stick to issues of municipal authority."
