City of Powell River councillors have taken the first step in paving the way to turning a city-owned highway dedication near qathet General Hospital into a supportive housing and shelter complex.
At the November 7 council meeting, councillors had two bylaws on the agenda, to result in the permanent closure and removal of the highway dedication, and to amend the city’s zoning bylaw. Both bylaws were recommended for first three readings.
Mayor Ron Woznow, who is on medical leave but attended by video connection, led the discussion by proposing a motion to defer consideration of the proposed bylaws until several measures had been taken. These included BC Housing providing funding to the city to cover the cost of a consultant’s study on the impact on the community of the BC Housing existing supportive housing facility on Joyce Avenue. The second was for him to meet with the yet to be named minister of housing and new Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill to request a commitment that the negative impact of the Joyce facility be corrected.
The third was for BC Housing staff to meet with city council to outline how they will change the management model and operation of the existing facility and indicate what management model would be used for any new facility. The motion was seconded by councillor Jim Palm.
“We have 90-plus per cent of the residents of Powell River that have expressed their views on this, to say, time out,” said Woznow. “They have indicated that we should not do anything further until the current situation is corrected, and then, consider how to move forward with the new model.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott said she had intended to make a motion to invite BC Housing, Vancouver Coastal Health and other relevant agencies to discuss the new supportive housing complex. She said her preference would be to have a motion on the floor to invite these organizations to have a conversation.
“I agree that we need that conversation, and my preference would be to have a motion that doesn’t presuppose that somebody has done something wrong,” said Elliott. “We can bring all our issues to that meeting and explain what it is we are having a hard time with. While I agree with the need to have that conversation, and I want to invite those folks here, I don’t agree with the wording in this [Woznow’s] particular motion.”
Councillor George Doubt said he did not agree with Woznow’s motion, either.
“What this motion would serve to do is to delay the opportunity to address the land use bylaw that is on the books tonight,” said Doubt. “It is my view, after listening to everybody, that there is a need for supportive housing in our community. We have homeless people that need a way to get off the street and a way to transition from being on the street to being able to get market housing or subsidized housing, and along the way hopefully get rid of any addictions or other situations that are stopping them from moving ahead.
“Homelessness won’t go away. People that are living on the street will still be there, but there will be less hope of getting off the street. If we delay this some more, what will the provincial government do? Will they decide there is no serious desire to have supportive housing in Powell River, and take the money and go somewhere else?”
Doubt said council could pass first three readings of the bylaws and still set up opportunities to talk to BC Housing, talk to the operators of the proposed new facility, whoever they might be, and answer everybody’s questions.
At this point in the meeting, after distractions from the gallery in council chambers, councillor and acting mayor Earl Almeida said if there were further interruptions, the meeting would be moved upstairs into the committee room and the gallery could watch the meeting remotely. The meeting, however, continued in council chambers.
Councillor Rob Southcott said there are problems, but he did not support the motion to defer the consideration, even though he supports the spirit behind the mayor’s arguments to defer.
Palm said with council considering three readings of the bylaws, it was not final, and they would come back for final adoption at some point. However, he did not see a problem with deferment.
“One of the difficulties I’m having in this process is not having enough information regarding what is going on in our first facility,” said Palm. “I strongly believe a study needs to be done so we have all the information to move forward. Right now, we do not, and that is giving me a lot of consternation.”
Palm said he’s heard from the public and said from the outset that when the new proposed facility was brought up, the proposed location is a real obstacle for a whole range of issues.
Woznow’s motion to defer was defeated, with Woznow and Palm in favour, but the rest of council opposed the motion.
Elliott then made a motion to direct staff to extend an invitation to BC Housing, Vancouver Coastal Health and any other relevant agencies for the proposed new housing project to meet with council and discuss the project. Councillor Trina Isakson moved to defer a decision on the motion until the bylaw readings were addressed. The motion to defer failed.
Back to Elliott’s motion, Palm made an amendment motion to include representatives of Westview Ratepayers Society in the meeting. The ratepayers have been active in offering what they consider to be solutions for the housing debate. Palm’s motion failed.
Elliott’s motion carried, with Woznow opposed.
Council then gave three readings to the bylaw to provide for permanent closure and highway dedication removal of an undeveloped portion of the Complex Way highway dedication. The three readings carried, with Woznow and Palm opposed. The amendment to the city’s zoning bylaw also passed first three readings, with Woznow and Palm opposed.
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