After some minor changes, Squamish Council endorsed the Squamish Downtown Waterfront Concept Plan this week - despite the opposition of the Squamish Port Authority.
Bill McEnery, the chairman of the Squamish Port Authority, wrote council on April 22 to inform council that the directors of the port authority's formal objection. The group opposes the concept plan because it calls for the elimination of the existing government dock and replaces it with a dredged channel for canoe and kayak use.
"We ask that priority be given to current and future uses of a government dock in the plan," McEnery wrote. "Instead of the government dock being eliminated, there is actually a great need for its expansion."
McEnery wrote in his letter that the government dock provides a safe haven for boaters visiting Squamish.
"I also share the concerns of the port authority that we need a safe harbour," Sutherland said during the council meeting on Tuesday (May 4).
Council decided to refer the issue to the select committee charged with addressing waterfront development issues.
The concept plan was supposed to be endorsed sooner; however, council voted at its regular meeting on April 6 to allow extra time for changes to be made to the draft document. The first draft plan presented to council on April 6 had some obvious problems.
The concept plan indicated that the District of Squamish officially acquired the Nexen lands on Jan. 27, 2004.
That wasn't the case and as of this week, the land deal still awaited final completion. Mayor Ian Sutherland says completion of the very complicated deal is in the final stages. The transfer was originally expected to be completed late last year.
Another potential flaw in the concept plan indicated that a new elementary school and park will be needed downtown to accommodate the expected influx of new residents. The draft concept plan called for a shifting of a park proposed in the Squamish 2000 Plan at the current location of the tourist information centre.
"Comprised of a full two city blocks this new school and sports field site is bordered by Main Street, Vancouver Street, Third Avenue and Cleveland Avenue," the draft plan indicated.
The area identified in the draft plan includes The Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Company, a privately-owned vacant lot, the School District 48 office and garage, private residences and a commercial building across the street from the school board office.
Sutherland said he isn't too concerned about those types of oversights because it is a conceptual plan. "Little things like that don't concern us too much."
He said there are a bunch of things like that in the concept plan and he added that the plan is a jumping off point that planners, investors and developers will use.
"What changed were a few items, a few references," said the mayor. "The meat of the document stays the same."
Everyone understands that some things in a conceptual plan are not going to become reality, Sutherland said.
The mayor also announced on Tuesday that in an in-camera session earlier in the day council passed a motion to support the Squamish Yacht Club in its efforts to take over the government wharf lease previously held by Harbour Ferries, which operated the MV Britannia boat tours.
