A key waterfront parcel in the heart of Powell River will remain a park.
After months of public consultation and discussion, City of Powell River council voted 6-1 not to change the designation of the vacant lot on the corner of Marine Avenue and Abbotsford Street to mixed use. In April 2010, council passed the first two readings of OCP (official community plan) and zoning bylaw amendments which changed the designation and zoning from parks to mixed use. At the February 17 council meeting, councillors voted on third reading and adoption of the OCP amendment.
The night before, the city held a second public hearing. City Clerk Marie Claxton read out 17 letters, only one of which was in favour of the rezoning. Then, 21 speakers addressed council, with only Jay Yule, PRREDS (Powell River Regional Economic Development Society) president, saying he was in favour of the change.
When the vote was taken at council after a lengthy discussion, Councillor Chris McNaughton alone voted in favour of the change. He said the purpose of the rezoning is to create an opportunity for the private sector to provide input about what could be developed there. “If we pass these bylaws, then what we’re able to do is attract investors to make the proposals,” he said.
The city has been struggling over the last decade with matching community expectations with the ability to pay, McNaughton also said. “In terms of this initiative, if there is a passion to build a civic facility there, then we have to be able to afford it. One way to afford it is to work with the private sector and develop something.”
Councillor Dave Formosa said he had mixed feelings about the issue. “I believe we have a lot of park space, but I also believe that this particular property has an affinity to the community,” he said. He thought the city should hold a referendum about the parcel as part of the local government election in November and offer three options: keeping the parcel as park, undeveloped; building a cultural centre there, which would include a library and museum; or retaining most of the parcel as park, but allowing development, which would include a library, museum and condominiums.
Formosa also said he didn’t hold a financial interest in seeing the site developed. “I have had no developer talk to me,” he said. “My name isn’t in for a condo. I’m not going to build a condominium there.”
Councillor Jim Palm said he feels strongly that the parcel needs to be “put to a better use for the community.” However, a good cross section of people that was representative of the community attended the public hearing. He said the overwhelming message to keep the parcel as park “speaks volumes to me.” He also said he thought council “needed some time to step back and do the right thing.”
Councillor Debbie Dee said she also heard the residents loud and clear. “I also heard civic use, library, public space, cultural centre,” she said. “I don’t think we need to change the zoning designation to have that.”
Councillor Maggie Hathaway had a letter written by the municipal clerk in 1977. The letter stated that the registered covenant provided greater protection than a bylaw and council could only remove the restriction through a referendum. “I think the council of the day placed a covenant on that property,” she said. “The people trusted them to do so and to remove it at this point in time is a breach of that trust.”
