Sending letter
City of Powell River councillors are requesting the provincial attorney general send council a response to a letter written by an organization called Culture Guard.
The letter, from the organization’s executive director Kari Simpson, requests the government immediately pause all COVID-19 related orders and other recommendations regarding the pandemic. Council received the letter as an attachment to correspondence by Powell River resident George Orchiston.
At the November 2 committee of the whole meeting, Orchiston asked council to send a letter to the attorney general to advise him the city wishes his office to act in a timely manner as enough damage has been done.
“Right now, we’re going nowhere and it’s not going to turn out well,” said Orchiston.
The committee voted to receive Orchiston’s correspondence for information.
Councillor Maggie Hathaway said she wanted to send Simpson’s letter to the attorney general, indicating that council had received a copy of the correspondence and council would like to see a copy of the government’s reply. Hathaway said there are some very serious points made in the correspondence.
“I would like to see what they have to say,” said Hathaway.
The committee voted to send the letter to the attorney general.
Amendments considered
Council will be considering amendments to the sustainable official community plan (SOCP), in a housekeeping update, to distinguish modular homes from mobile homes, and to amend development permit area nine to facilitate the development of carriage houses.
According to a staff report, regarding manufactured homes, the SOCP language that restricts the placement of mobile homes to mobile home parks also inadvertently restricts the development of site-built homes made of modular components.
Regarding carriage houses, staff propose tweaking the carriage house development permit guidelines to address common challenges. Staff members are proposing amending the guidelines to reduce the need for some variances and to capture some desired carriage house projects that are currently now allowed.
Variance permit
City council will consider giving staff direction to give notice of council’s intention to consider issuance of a development variance permit to vary the city’s zoning bylaw by relaxing the required front and side setbacks to permit minor encroachments of the proposed buildings in the setback areas for a proposed apartment complex at Joyce Avenue and Edgehill Crescent. This would allow for construction of a 141-unit rental apartment complex at the site.
According to a staff report, Veyron Properties has engaged the city on a comprehensive development proposal for the property. The proponent has achieved success in getting approvals tied to land use, and must now achieve proposals tied to form and character consideration, the report stated. A development permit and associated variance must be approved by council and issued prior to issuance of a building permit.
