City of Powell River councillors have voted for reports on disposition of city-owned properties for three community projects.
At the September 2 committee of the whole meeting, manager of city development Melissa Howey said she was appearing to report on city-owned land and make a recommendation for further direction for staff. She said her report followed up on discussions at the August 21 regular council meeting.
“Staff are actively working on several city-owned land initiatives, including the further development of City of Powell River property policy 271, and housing actions with BC Housing, related to the temporary shelter, and the Complex Way supportive housing project, both of which contain city-owned land components,” said Howey.
Included in her report to the committee was the Urban Systems land management strategy that provides a detailed inventory of surplus city-owned land.
“This document identifies 25 surplus sites and provides additional information with respect to land use designation and zoning,” said Howey.
According to the report, since the start of the current council term, a total of 28 recommendations have been passed by council, directing staff to undertake specific projects, policy reviews or initiatives relating to city-owned lands. She said of those 28 recommendations, 13 have been completed, and 15 remain actively in progress, including requests for reports regarding city-owned land from Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society (PROWLS), qathet Pickleball Association and Four Tides Hospice Society.
“Each of these reports will require detailed work from staff to provide council with information about the feasibility of land, alignment with land-use designations, zoning and strategic priorities, and any financial implications of sale or long-term lease,” said Howey.
Councillor Trina Isakson said when council met two weeks previously, it was discussed that it would be good to give staff a sense of prioritization. She said some land-related motions are of a greater priority than the three Howey detailed.
“I am wondering if working on this would mean not being able to work on some of the other things,” said Isakson. “Maybe you can talk about how the prioritization works beyond those three.”
Howey said prioritization is something staff is always thinking about, and for council to provide direction.
“These three particular requests have some similarities, with potential to bring some synergy and efficiency in dealing with these three reports simultaneously,” said Howey.
Councillor Geroge Doubt said he was curious about why the old golf course lands in Townsite were not included. He said council passed a motion that staff be directed, with up to two members of council and Townsite resident Stephen Miller, to explore the possible benefits of creating or partnering in a land trust to preserve, protect and maintain the old golf course lands, and further, that staff be directed to bring back a report discussing exploratory findings on the various aspects of the land trust concept, including the possible sale of city land.
“My question is, why isn’t that in one of the requested lists of reports?” asked Doubt.
Director of planning services Jason Gow said there is confirmation from the corporate officer, Stephen Fleming, who has prepared a report on the old golf course lands. Gow said Fleming would like to circulate that to senior staff before bringing it back to councillors.
“To be fair, the property’s file has been spread over many different departments over the last number of years,” said Gow. “My expectation is that Mr. Fleming refers that report, and planning staff have an opportunity to review it, along with other departments, then we will be bringing that forward. It wasn’t included in the recommendation, but it doesn’t mean it is not a priority.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott asked if the city had enough information in its strategic priorities to prioritize the list of projects.
Gow said council’s strategic priorities are quite broad, and as a result, all three projects fall into that. He said the question Elliott raised was, where does that rank in relation to all of council’s priorities?
“Please consider this is a recommendation from staff, but if council wishes to give us additional direction or a different direction, this is the avenue for you to do so,” said Gow.
Mayor Ron Woznow said previous councils had refused an offer by the community to produce a land trust on the old golf course lands.
“Some of the councillors here probably remember when that happened,” said Woznow.
He said regarding the pickleball association, that was a recommendation that came forward from a pickleball standing committee. He said the committee had utilized the resources of city staff and outside consultants to prepare that. He said that might have a little more depth in terms of preparatory work.
Councillor Rob Southcott made a motion that council direct staff to prepare reports related to requests for the disposition of city-owned land from PROWLS, the pickleball association and the hospice society.
“I wholeheartedly support these three projects,” said Southcott. “They are projects that could result in substantive achievement.”
Doubt made an amendment to Southcott’s motion that the motion be amended to include a report on the old golf course lands as approved by council on October 8, 2024. The amendment was defeated. Southcott’s motion carried.
Elliott made a subsequent motion that the committee recommend that council direct staff to bring a priority list for the remaining, outstanding projects. The motion carried.
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