City of Powell River councillors have voted to issue a development permit to facilitate construction of phase one of a mixed-use aviation park at Powell River Airport.
At the March 5 city council meeting, council approved an application from Gaoshi Holdings (Canada) Ltd. for a conference centre and airport hangar. This will be the first phase of a multiple-phased aviation park on 11.49 hectares of leased area on land on the easterly side of the terminal building.
In introducing the recommendation, councillor Rob Southcott said this was an exciting proposal. He said the proposed development at the airport is the first big step forward.
“I totally support this recommendation,” said Southcott.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said she was excited there will be better facilities at the airport.
Councillor Jim Palm said he wanted to thank mayor Dave Formosa directly.
“I know that economic development is not an easy thing to do in a small, semi-isolated community on the west coast north of Vancouver,” said Palm. “I greatly appreciate it.”
Formosa said a couple years of hard work have gone into the process of facilitating the airport development.
He said originally, the proponent had planned on manufacturing small aircraft at the site, but in the lawyer’s office, when it came time to finalize the sale of the aircraft company, the deal collapsed. He said that later, the proponents called him, saying they were prepared to build out anyway and continued to look for opportunities.
“They believed in the rest of the project,” said Formosa. “There is a great opportunity for an aviation industrial park and we are so close to the Lower Mainland. Those airports are full and there are a lot of difficulties finding space.”
Formosa said there are prospective tenants for the airport facilities expansion. He said the proponent wouldn’t say who, but tenants are lined up that will bring prosperity and jobs to the community. Formosa said he would be meeting with the owners and prospective tenants in the near future.
“I got the call today and I was pretty excited,” said Formosa. “I will be going down to meet with the owners of the property and see if we can’t find some ways where people can locate within the airport industrial park.”
Formosa said thankfully, Gaoshi Holdings has the money to put up front. He said the company’s owners believe in building it and they will come.
Formosa added that he wanted to point out the lands on which Gaoshi Holdings has a 99-year lease were appraised by a professional commercial appraiser and the city was able to secure a lease a little higher than the appraised value.
“This is contrary to what some folks have said, that we gave it away,” said Formosa. “I say, gave it away to whom? Who is lining up to come here and do stuff?”
Councillor Maggie Hathaway asked if the city would maintain its own terminal facilities.
Formosa said that was correct.
Council voted unanimously for the development permit proposal to construct the first phase of a mixed-use aviation park, subject to three conditions. The first was that there be submission of a stormwater management plan to the satisfaction of the manager of engineering services. The second was submission of a detailed landscape plan to the satisfaction of the director of planning services and the final was the receipt of a security deposit to ensure approved landscape works are completed.
