Looks to reduce speed limit
Council has directed staff to begin discussions with the Ministry of Transportation on reducing the speed limit along Marine Avenue between Duncan and Alberni streets. Part of Highway 101, the stretch of Marine currently has a limit of 50 kilometres per hour. City staff will set up meetings with the ministry to discuss Marine Avenue and other concerns they have with local highways.
Donates bus and recreation passes
Council voted in favour of donating 30 bus and recreation passes to the Community Resource Centre for its staff to hand out at its discretion to those in need. The in-kind contribution is an effort to address the need for homeless and poverty-stricken residents to have access to the services, which was identified in the recent Tapping the Groundswell social planning report.
Approves towers
City council has approved the construction of three Telus wireless telecommunication towers and accessory structures inside city limits. The three towers, one in Townsite near the Maple Avenue tennis courts, one at Alberni Street and Joyce Avenue and one on Alberni between Ontario and Fernwood avenues, will provide improved wireless services to targeted areas within the city, according to Telus. The towers will be just under 16 metres in height and will replace existing telephone poles.
Hears development reports
At its meeting on Tuesday, October 4, City of Powell River committee of the whole heard reports from city senior planner Jason Gow on two multi-family residential development applications, one in Cranberry where there are plans to construct six units of townhouses on Cranberry Street, and the other, a 10-unit building on Abbotsford Street behind Crossroads Village Shopping Centre. Meanwhile, Pacific Point Market owner Tod English indicated in a letter to the city that he does not object to the city placing restrictions on short-term tourist accommodations for the phase-two condominium development he would like to construct in Grief Point. However, English said he would not want to see those restrictions prevent owners from renting the units out monthly. At its Thursday, October 6, meeting, council voted in favour of removing the clause “traveller accommodations” from the mixed zoning of English’s proposed condominium development.
Library building rent reductions
Whether to increase rent reductions for City of Powell River’s tenants on the second floor of the new Powell River Public Library building will be an issue brought to an upcoming council meeting. The city has lost one tenant due to stalled construction at Crossroads Village Shopping Centre. Rent for existing tenants has already been discounted by 25 per cent to account for inconveniences due to the building’s renovations, but at least one tenant is asking for a larger discount. According to a letter presented to the committee of the whole, Simply Bronze tanning salon owner Danica Work said the loss of the stairs to the building’s second floor has had a negative impact on her business and she is asking for a 50 per cent discount.
Considers temporary position
In an effort to deal with the backlog of development applications, council is considering a temporary, one-year staff position to be discussed at a future council meeting. A property and contract coordinator would primarily help with conveyancing and creating an online database of properties the city currently holds. Pay for the proposed contract is a maximum of $90,000 for one year and would be allocated from the 2016 wage budget surplus.
