At a June 4 council meeting, the District of Squamish council deferred a decision on issuing a Temporary Use Permit to Woodfibre LNG. The application was sent back to staff to seek more information from the proponent on some critical points of clarification brought forward by Mayor Armand Hurford.
The permit application will return to a Committee of the Whole meeting later, after which it is likely headed to another public hearing.
At the Tuesday meeting, Mayor Hurdford said the council had received numerous submissions and emails from the community since the public hearing. He proposed referring the matter back to staff and directing them to work with the proponent to address issues before bringing the TUP to a future Committee of the Whole meeting.
Key Conditions Outlined:
Increased Security Deposit: The security deposit, initially set in section 1B, will be increased to $10 million. Mayor Hurford emphasized that this increase is not a significant obstacle but necessary for ensuring accountability.
Risk Assessment of Henrietta Lake Dam: A clearer understanding of the potential risks posed by the Henrietta Lake Dam to the proposed flotel location is required. Hurdford highlighted the importance of not approving use without ensuring safety and mitigating potential hazards.
Impact Analysis Collaboration: Woodfibre LNG and Foris must collaborate to provide a comprehensive analysis of their projects’ community impacts. This collaboration aims to present a complete picture of the potential effects on Squamish residents.
He acknowledged the proponent’s responsibilities regarding the dam, including frequent inspections, and suggested that relevant information may exist but has not been publicly shared. Barring Coun. Eric Andersen, the mayor’s motion was supported by fellow councillors and passed 5-1, with Coun. Jenna Stoner absent.
Coun. Andersen said this was “straying too far into extraneous issues” and emphasized the importance of focusing on the TUP application’s primary objectives. He referenced former Coun. Norm Barr, warning against politicizing the process. “If you take your politics too far in front of the purpose of this application, you very much risk chaos in the aftermath,” he said.
Squamish officials have also determined that a hazard assessment is unnecessary for the proposed flotel. According to district official David Roulston, staff reviewed the issue and concluded that the flotel does not meet the criteria that typically necessitate such an assessment.
“Our official community plan includes flood hazard and risk policy based on the Community Charter and Land Title Act. These require flood hazard assessments for land development applications as deemed necessary by the district,” he explained. “The flotel is not a land development application and does not require a building permit, subdivision, or rezoning, which are the usual triggers for a hazard assessment.”
He added that conducting a flood hazard assessment for a floating structure would be unusual, as these assessments are almost exclusively for land development applications. He emphasized that the location and type of structure, as well as the low probability nature of any potential hazard, were key factors in the decision.
