Squamish Off-road Cycling Association (SORCA) will not provide support for Cheema lands development unless trails on the property are preserved.
“We cannot provide support for any proposal to proceed down the path to development of District Lots 509 and 510 without certainty on preservation of the trail network, including the trails themselves, as well as the character of the trails and surrounding forest,” SORCA president Jeff Norman wrote in a letter to the district.
Last month, developer Bob Cheema applied to change two Official Community Plan land-use designations from Future Residential Neighbourhood to Residential Neighbourhood for Lot 509 and 510.
If approved by council, the change would allow for the initiation of a neighbourhood planning process to enable future development on the property.
SORCA president Norman said it was the association’s view that it would be inappropriate to designate lands that contain such iconic trails as slated for Residential Neighbourhood development.
However, the OCP amendment request by Cheema also provided a valuable opportunity for the district to secure this portion of the Squamish trail network for the future, Norman said.
“Ideally SORCA would have liked to have had the Proponent sever the lands containing the trail network and surrounding forest from District Lots 509 and 510, with only the lands proposed for development made subject to its OCP redesignation proposal, and the lands containing the trails protected with a conservation covenant,” he wrote.
SORCA has been working with the proponent to ensure that trails on Cheema Lands are preserved in perpetuity, and to ensure all trail users have access to the trails throughout the planning and development process.
“Over the years, the proponent has become frustrated at the lack of progress on their development and this has translated to closures or threats of closures of the Cheema Lands to trail users and events,” Norman wrote.
Over the years, SORCA has worked with the developer to demonstrate the “extraordinary community benefit” of trail preservation. In 2018, both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a vision for lots 509 and 510 that would be the basis for broader consultation with Squamish.
Since then the only “substantive product” of this relationship was a draft 2018 general map of the development and trails, although it didn’t create boundaries for trails that would be preserved.
Read the full letter here.
alex says
SORCA is behaving as if it owned the property. I sure would NOT allow even a sniff of a trail on my land if this is how they behave.
Can you imagine telling a family that they can’t have a home built because someone wants to ride a bike through the potential garden ?
Allan Price says
Agree. If SORCA’s not careful they could find the whole parcel closed for good.
Not representing their constituency or their interests well at all.
They could learn some lessons in diplomacy from Climber’s Access Society.
Kelly Evans says
It’s not up to Sorca where the land gets developed or not. They are asking for OCP amendments and community support. They want Sorca’s support so that should come according to you… free?
cliff miller says
As founder and 20 year past president of Sorca I am extremely disappointed that Sorca has taken this position on Mr. Cheema’s lands.
Around 1995 I sat down with Mr. Don Corson of Merrin and Ring lands….the original land owner of these 2 lots. The gist of the agreement was go ahead and play on our lands but don’t complain when we decide to develop them. We shook hands on this deal.
After Mr. Cheema bought these lots from Merril and Ring, myself and a few other of the Sorca exec sat down with Mr. Cheema and had much the same conversation and again shaking hands upon leaving the table.
In around 2009, myself, members of the Sorca exec and other event planners sat down with Mr. Cheema and had another similar conversation regarding the above 2 lots and we all left shaking hands.
This land that we have recreated on since I arrived here in 1989 is private property and as such the land owner should be free to develop this land as he sees fit.
For Sorca to say ‘if you don’t work with us to maintain trail access, we will not support you on your development proposal’ is just wrong.
It would be foolhardy for Mr. Cheema not to work with various community groups to come to a concensus as to what would be the best use and location of trails to benefit a housing development. Mr Cheema has always done what he has wanted to do and if he wants to create a development with out Sorca’s involvement that is his right.
We should be grateful for the 25 plus years of fun we have had on his land. Let him get on with his planning of his property and if he invites Sorca or and other community group to the table all the better.
This is his private property and being private property, he can do what he wants with it.
Cliff Miller
Dave R Firbank Sr. says
The “Trail Network” in and around Alice , Edith Lakes and Garibaldi Highlands are remnants of the early 1910’s logging, Merrill-Ring being one of several. The trails were cut by loggers to get from one area to another as short cuts as well as the rail lines right of ways. Since logging in those areas finished the rail lines and trails were used by locals to day hike about the western slopes of Mt Garibaldi and the lakes before they became parks. During the late 1990’s a representative inspected the Perth dr access to their lands and shortly after a gate and NO TRESPASSING signs were posted. The property had just been logged and too many people were noticed to be using the roads. Concern for safety due to the heavy logging waste still covering the ground prompted Merrill-Ring to erect a gate and post signage. Some thoughtless louts tore down the gates and signs. Since then that type of “ I want to do what I want to do and nobody can stop me” attitude still reigns today. For Merrill-Ring and the Cheema family to give “ temporary “ access to their private property, as good corporate citizens , does not give – and never has given that small group of callous, careless morons the rights they seem to constantly voice to access any property, any time, and in any matter that they wish. The Constitution of Canada does not give any person the right to assume privilege over private property. And it’s about time that those 20 to 55 year olds grew up and became responsible members of society and not the selfish, over pampered, over privileged, self-entitled gimme gimme gimmes they have demonstrated they are. The previous biker oriented council and what appears to be the same for the present council have done no favours for Squamish as a whole with rampant construction, no sourcing and preparation for water needs nor for the resulting sewage treatment. The list is almost endless concerning various infractions being flaunted by the public with nothing apparently been done.