by Kyle Wells [email protected] A pile of rocks placed on private land next to Powell Lake is being progressively moved and relocated, following concerns over its proximity to the shore at Kinsmen Beach.
The collection of large rocks and boulders is the end result of blasting that took place on the property to create material for a rip-rap wall along Powell Lake Marina. The proximity of the rocks to the shoreline prompted one local resident to contact the City of Powell River to question whether any environmental regulations had been breached.
In a letter, resident Andy Davis asked whether the placement of the rocks conforms to riparian areas regulations and whether the ministry of environment was consulted before the rocks were placed there. In a written reply, Marie Claxton, city clerk, explained the lot is zoned A2, large lot rural, and therefore does not require a development permit. However, it is subject to the official community plan and its rules for environmentally sensitive and freshwater riparian areas.
Claxton also explained the ministry of energy and mines had been contacted about the property. In an email to the Peak, a ministry spokesperson explained that no orders had been issued relating to the site and any issues in regard to the foreshore are the responsibility of either the city or the ministry of environment.
The land is owned by 643747 BC Ltd., which is a company co-owned by Dave Formosa, city councillor and Powell River entrepreneur. In an email to the Peak, Formosa explained the rocks are being moved as the rip-rap wall is being completed. The company also has submitted an application to build a breakwater, which would use the rocks.
Formosa said high lake levels have slowed down progress on the wall. The rocks closest to the lake are being removed first to correct the mistake.
“If the lake didn’t stay high we would not have had this problem,” wrote Formosa. “All the rocks are being [blasted] and stockpiled on our own private property. Only mistake was we should have stored the rocks further up the uplands.”
