In a 4-3 vote, the District of Squamish council gave third reading to a controversial rezoning for large land parcels in Valleycliffe and Garibaldi Highlands.
Mayor Karen Elliott and Councillors Chris Pettingill, Jenna Stoner and Armand Hurford voted in support of the motion.
Councillors John French, Eric Andersen and Doug Race opposed the rezoning for land in Crumpit Wood North and Newport Ridge from RS-1, which is single-family homes, to RS-5, which allows commercial and multi-family homes.
Mayor Elliott said the OCP did allow for greater density with the sub-area plan than what was allowed with the current zoning. That was an upside for the developer, she added.
She said single-family homes have a place in the community, but she doesn’t believe in having exclusive single-family subdivisions.
“We need to start creating neighbourhoods where there is mixed form of housing, and not just condos or townhomes. I’d like to see cottages, triplexes and mixed form of housing, and sub-area planning gets us there,” she said.
Councillor Chris Pettingill said land parcels zoned single-family were contrary to the OCP.
“We couldn’t have waited for the developer to put a proposal and then change our minds. We have to act now,” he said.
“The new zonings are not perfect but they take us to a better place and they put us in a place where we can have the discussion and engagements we all want,” he said.
Councillor Doug Race said a change in zoning would devalue the properties.
“If we approve this bylaw, the value of the property will substantially slip away, and it is highly prejudicial and would have a negative effect on the land owner,” he said.
“It is not a tool to change history, and we should be careful in changing the rights of the land given to the land owner in the past,” he added.
Councillor John French said there was lack of understanding on what had motivated the changes and what the district was trying to achieve. He said the community desired collaboration and there was a need to rethink the RM-5 zoning.
Councillor Eric Andersen said this wasn’t something that would work in the district’s favour.
“I am concerned that we are politicising density by working in an overaggressive mode, and we should try to avoid this,” he said.
Councillor Armand Hurdford said the district should not be “handcuffed” to a zoning that is incompatible with the OCP, and accept something that was not acceptable to the community.
Councillor Jenna Stoner also said the current zoning was not in line with the OCP and supported the motion to change the zoning.
Reckonig Day says
Farce.