Public Hearing for Gowland Harbour Views Development
Cortes Currents
English - March 22, 2021 23:53 - 5 minutes - 12 MBNews cortes island discovery islands quadra food security energy indigenous nations Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The public zoning meeting for the Gowland Harbour Views development, on Quadra Island, could be on hold until next August or September - assuming the pandemic is under control by then.
This project was originally brought to the Strathcona Regional District in the summer of 2010 and, over the years, has undergone a number of changes to address issues raised by Quadra Island Regional Director Jim Abram.
Land owner and applicant, Rick Schellinck. wants to developing 51 residential lots, a campground, marina and two waterfront parks in Gowland Harbour.
His application was considered at this year’s January 13th, February 10th and March 10th meetings of the Electoral Areas Services Committee.
1:34:18 - meeting in sept 134:54
>>> Problems with the Gowland project
At the March 10th meeting, Director Abram mentioned a number of problems. Over the years, the amount of green space being given to the community has decreased from 15 to 10 acres. There is no archaeological study. The project would most likely bring another 50 cars to Quadra Island and, at times ,there are already two or three ferry waits on the ferry.
He added that “The big issue, that is being thrown at me probably at least a dozen times a day, is the fact that people want an in-person public hearing.”
The internet is very poor on Quadra and no residents logged into two of the island’s three virtual zoning meetings
Regional Director Brenda Leigh, whose internet connection failed and was attending by phone, agreed, “.... these virtual meetings, they are a disaster, I can’t hear half of what’s going on.”
Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson said, “I’m not comfortable delaying everything indefinitely.”
There has been considerable back and forth on this project for more than a decade.
Anderson said she did not feel comfortable with the amount of “reaching into the detail of this that the committee feels it has the license to do. Ultimately, it is up to the applicant to put an application forward for consideration.”
Further discussion of the Gowland Harbour Views development was deferred to the next EASC meeting, on April 14th, because of technical difficulties.