Adopts amendments
City of Powell River council adopted rezoning and land-use amendments to its zoning and sustainable official community plan bylaws at its Thursday, December 1, meeting. The changes will allow Pacific Point Market and Suites owner Tod English to move forward with the second phase of his development, a residential building and added commercial space. Similarly, council also passed amendments to allow the building of a multi-family development next to Crossroads Village Shopping Centre.
Increases airport tax
City council passed three readings of a bylaw to increase Powell River Airport’s departure tax by $2. Starting January 1, travellers will pay $12 on a round trip from the airport. Money raised will go toward paying back runway improvements.
Approves free parking
Council passed the first and second readings of a bylaw that will establish free vehicle parking for those who purchase annual moorage in the city’s North Harbour.
Mutual aid housekeeping
City director of emergency services Terry Peters told the committee of the whole on Tuesday, November 29, that since a regional fire services mutual aid agreement is now in place, the city needs to clean up five old bylaws that previously provided for regional cooperation. But, in doing so, council needs to create a new bylaw to allow automatic assistance between Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department and Powell River Fire Rescue. The new bylaw will dispatch the city’s department automatically to calls in Electoral Area B areas accessible only through the city. Malaspina crews will be automatically dispatched to calls on Myrtle Avenue and the airport. Peters cited issues with water supply at the airport as the reason.
Townsite rezoning
City of Powell River senior planner Jason Gow reported to committee of the whole on a solution to solve the ongoing issue of secondary suites on Hemlock Street. Gow recommended council amend the city’s zoning bylaw to allow the 32-lot Townsite subdivision to be rezoned from its original designation of compact residential, which does not permit secondary suites, to single- and two-family, a zone that does. The committee requested that staff bring a new recommendation to establish a comprehensive development zone specific to Hemlock subdivision, instead of re-zoning it as Townsite single and two family.
Incinerator site closure
Powell River Regional District staff presented an update to the city’s committee of whole on the proposed closure and development of a resource-recovery centre at the Marine Avenue incinerator site. The regional district plans to borrow $2 million over 30 years as part of its agreement to receive a $6 million federal grant for the $8.8 million project. Regional district manager of financial services Linda Greenan told the committee the borrowing would equate to a regional tax increase of between $3 and $4 per thousand of assessed property value. The physical closure of the site, led by the city, the original landfill permit holder, is expected to be complete in 2018. Construction of the new centre is expected to be complete by 2021.
Townsite Brewing expansion
City council will deliberate on whether it wishes to hold a public consultation process as part of BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch’s provisions for adding capacity at Townsite Brewing’s tasting room. The brewery plans to add 35 seats to its current 10-seat tasting room capacity as part of a craft-beer museum development. City director of planning Thomas Knight said while council did not choose to host a public consultation earlier this year when the brewery established its tasting room, it may now that it will have a larger capacity, perhaps impacting other area liquor-licence holders.
