City of Powell River council members were provided with a library referendum question suggestion and were told that varying from its intent would prompt an initiative to defeat it.
Before more than 50 people in a packed, standing room-only council chambers, Willingdon Watch spokesperson Elaine Teichgraber outlined her group’s expectations for the planned November Powell River Public Library referendum. She spoke at the Thursday, September 4, committee of the whole meeting.
Teichgraber wants council to have the electorate declare its wishes for the Willingdon South property, which Willingdon Watch believes cannot be used for any other purpose than parkland.
“The property...has a restrictive covenant on it,” she said. “The covenant runs with the land. It is intended to stay with the property regardless of how many owners the property passes through.”
Covenants are applied with thought and consideration, Teichgraber said, and they are intended to continue with the land in perpetuity.
The city’s zoning amendment in 2006 that changed the meaning of a park does not change the covenant, its intentions, or its influence, according to Teichgraber.
“The only ethical way to remove the restrictive covenant is with a referendum question similar to this,” she said. “Do you want to retain the current restrictive covenant and preserve the Willingdon South old arena site for parkland use only—no civic, commercial, residential, industrial or institutional buildings—in perpetuity? Yes or no?
Teichgraber said the other question that must be asked is: “Do you support the city borrowing up to $3.5 million toward a portion of the cost of a new library. Yes or no?”
She said these two questions are at the heart of the new library issue.
The gallery applauded loudly at the conclusion of Teichgraber’s presentation.
Mayor Dave Formosa said Willingdon Watch group members had conducted a lot of research into the matter. “It’s nice because it helps us,” he said. “People have their individual areas where they show interest. They do their homework.”
At the evening’s council meeting, Teichgraber was once again at the podium. She spoke to the proposal by Crossroads Village Shopping Centre stakeholders to house the library at the old Brick building site, and the report from the architect with Miller Hull on both the old Brick building and Super Valu properties.
“At $8 million and $10 million, it makes the two new site options just as unaffordable as the [Powell River] Recreation Complex and Willingdon,” she said. “With regard to the Crossroads Village presentation, it was refreshing to finally have local people who live in and care about our town.”
On behalf of Willingdon Watch, she asked council to remove Willingdon South as an option for the library.
Councillor Myrna Leishman said she would like to make a motion to rescind the previous motion, naming Willingdon South as the preferred location for a new city library. Councillor Chris McNaughton seconded Leishman’s motion.
The motion could not proceed, however. Marie Claxton, city clerk, said that Leishman was not a member of city council when the original motion was passed, March 3, 2011. This means she could not move to rescind the motion because she was not eligible to vote for the original motion. McNaughton was disqualified because he had not voted affirmatively for the original motion.
“Based on your procedure bylaw, council members who want to rescind that motion would have to be ones that voted affirmatively,” Claxton said.
None of the sitting members of council who voted affirmatively for the original motion volunteered to make a motion to rescind, so the original motion naming Willingdon South as the preferred library location stands.
