A new draft of the City of Powell River’s official community plan (OCP) has re-designated the vacant lot on the corner of Marine Avenue and Abbotsford Street, commonly known as the old arena site, from parks and playing fields, to Mixed Use Commercial/Residential. Land uses within this designation may include single- and two-family dwellings, multi-family residential development, retail and service commercial, professional services and offices, tourism-related uses, cultural activities and entertainment.
In 2010 and 2011, council considered OCP and zoning bylaw amendments that would have changed the designation and zoning for the property to mixed use. The first public hearing about the amendments was held over two nights in 2010, because there were so many people who wanted to address council. When a second public hearing was held in February 2011, again people poured into city hall to express their views. The overwhelming number of people who spoke asked elected officials to keep the parcel as a park and council voted 6-1 not to change the designation and zoning.
During an open house about the latest draft of the OCP on Tuesday, October 22, a participant asked why the designation on the parcel had been changed.
Carlos Felip, director of planning services, said the site was one of two or three locations where council will have to make a decision. “The numbers we have and the input that we received is that the consensus is not that strong,” he said. “The opinions are really divided.”
Given that situation, Felip said, “We finally decided, let’s propose council to do it, but we are going to warn them that we perceive there are arguments here, you decide because you have the authority which way you want to go.”
In its final report to council, the Westview waterfront development committee recommended that the old arena site be designated for multipurpose use, including civic, commercial and residential, in the OCP.
Another issue that was raised during the open house was the re-designation of the parcel that contains Timberlane Barracks, buildings which house a number of community organizations, including cadets, scouts and Powell River Fine Arts Association. In the new draft OCP the property is designated Urban Residential Low Density.
Ann Nelson, owner and operator of the Patricia Theatre who was a member of the advisory committee that worked on the last rewrite of the OCP in 2005, said she wanted to shut that door. “That is a community resource that is so valuable because of the role that it plays in fostering a lot of the community groups, I don’t even want to see that door open,” she said. “I want it to remain parks, institutional or green space.”
Nelson encouraged residents to look closely at their neighbourhoods on the maps and examined the proposed land uses to make sure they understand what is being proposed. “It takes some thinking,” she said. “That’s the only way we’re going to be able to make valid input, is if we spend the time to look at it.”
Other concerns raised included the large area designated Urban Residential Low Density, which accommodates a range of housing, such as single-family, with or without secondary suites, a variety of multi-family development duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, row houses, group housing and special-needs housing; the Urban Residential Medium Density designation for the land where Powell River Historical Museum and Archives and Putters Mini-Golf are; and the lack of vision for Marine Avenue along the waterfront.
The OCP also proposes a range of development permit areas, a cycling network and a road network. It includes maps that show Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation treaty settlement lands, sensitive ecosystems and off-road pedestrian and cycling trails.
Powell River residents have until Thursday, October 31 to make comments about the draft OCP. There is an online survey, as well as the draft OCP and all maps.
Completed surveys can also be dropped off at city hall.
To view the land-use map, click here.
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