Last week, the Mayor’s Standing Committee on Community Lands publicized their plans for the portion of Community Lands known as “Lot 1.” The 20 acre (8 hectare) area spans the area around the public works yard on Mt. Gardner Road, and has been divided into three distinct portions. Council approved plans to rezone those areas from their current rural residential zoning, which allows the area to be divided up into 10 acre lots.
The Standing Committee recommended that the roughly 1.2 acre (0.5 hectare) on the northern portion of land be zoned for a tourist accommodation with up to 8 rooms. A roughly 4.5 acre (1.9 hectare) portion has been slated for potential housing, with suggested rezoning allowing for up to 20 dwellings. The committee suggested that the third section, east of Terminal Creek, be rezoned for mixed-use including housing, industrial, live-work and retail.
Council welcomed these ideas with a few caveats, clarifications and suggestions.
Councillors Melanie Mason and Sue Ellen Fast expressed concern about rezoning these lands in a way that does not keep stated community uses - such as housing and a composting facility - as a top priority.
“Are we as council becoming a developer? Where is the need for tourist-commercial expressed? Is that in the official community plan? How much land do we need to sell to get rid of this debt?” Asked Councillor Fast.
Mayor Skeels explained that the idea for creating tourist accommodation came from a suggestion that it would be a good location, with a view over the lake.
“This is just the beginning of a very long process,” he said.
Councillor Mason also expressed her concern that the area proposed for housing, given that the lot sizes would be roughly 1/4 acre each, would not fulfill the need on Bowen for affordable ownership.
Skeels did not have a specific answer, but described his vision of clusters of densely packed houses in the woods.
“This is an area where we can start to explore smaller lots, and try to break that $500 thousand ceiling,” he said. “Or we can just zone it for 2 houses instead of 20 and sell it for big bucks. Sometimes on Bowen it is cheaper that way. This project will be determined by septic requirements.”
The municipality’s development planning consultant, Judy McLeod, suggested that a site visit to the locations in question visit be required for all the councillors before moving forward with rezoning.
