It looks like the second phase of the Wakefield development in West Sechelt will be going back to public hearing, starting the process all over again.
Joni Heinrich, municipal clerk at the District of Sechelt, announced at Wed-nesday night's council meeting that "council is considering holding another public hearing and they have directed staff to prepare a report on all the issues."She said there have been a "number of rumours" in the community surrounding the development and its ties to a liquor store at the Tsain-Ko Mall on Sechelt Indian Band lands.
She also said a number of people have lobbied council about the liquor store component and council feels it's important to "put all the issues on the table at another public hearing."
The development calls for 12 units and a 40-seat bistro to be built. The bistro would hold a primary liquor licence for 20 seats and a restaurant primary licence for the other 20 seats. The reasoning for the 20-seat liquor primary licence is to allow for a liquor store to be built at the Sechelt Indian Band mall, as liquor primary licences hold the ability to open an off-site liquor store as well.
Developers say the bistro would not be feasible without the money generated from the off-site liquor store.
"We've told everybody right from the start that without the liquor primary component there won't be a commercial property there," John Gillespie, development manager with the project, said in an interview with Coast Reporter Thursday morning.
"We don't have millions of dollars just to throw at a business plan that doesn't make sense financially so we can't just put a restaurant there on that space and make it."
Gillespie said he was "very surprised" to hear Wednesday night that the plan would likely go back to public hearing."Going back to square one after this long a period and this many open houses, and the public hearing that we've had, and all the discussion with staff and council, I'm just really surprised when larger developments don't go through the same process," Gillespie said, noting he was in District offices that morning finalizing plans before the expected fourth reading and final adoption would take place.
But pressure from the public seems to be the reason for council's change of heart.
Recently both the Sechelt Chamber of Commerce and the Sechelt Downtown Business Association sent letters to the District saying they were concerned about the process and the fact neither association was approached for comment even though a nearby liquor store could seriously impact businesses in the downtown core.
Those letters were sent after Dale Schweighardt (manager at the Lighthouse Pub) approached the associations with concerns.Schweighardt says he and another local businessman who runs a liquor store in Sechelt have received legal council, sighting concerns over the public process so far.
He says he feels the development has been "fast-tracked" and that closed-door meetings have taken place, which is not legal after a public hearing has been held.
Heinrich said she didn't think any closed-door meetings had been held on the Wakefield development, but added there has been talk by council with proponents following the public hearing that could be construed as illegal.
"It's a bit of a sticky situation," she noted.
Schweighardt said he was happy to hear the project will likely go back to public hearing and all of the information presented to the public again.
"It's good. It's everything we've asked for, so we're happy," he added.
Council is expected to vote on whether to send the proposal back to public hearing at their next council meeting Wednesday, Jan. 17.
