Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Quesnel Council Highlights - May 24th mtg

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

Seniors Housing Development

Director of Development Services updated Council on the Quesnel Lions Housing Society’s proposed 30-unit apartment on the corner of Reid Street/McNaughton Avenue. Parking concerns remain as this 30-unit development is proposed with 11 parking stalls. A Public Hearing has been set for 7 pm, June 28, 2016 at City Hall Council Chambers.

Bowling Alley/Mini Golf Recreation Centre

Council passed first reading of a bylaw amendment regarding a proposed 13,000 ft2 recreational facility that will offer twelve bowling lanes, 18-hole black light mini golf, minor food concession and a primary liquor license with an eventual retail use attached to the bowling alley on the corner of Racing Road and Valhalla Road. The Applicant is hosting a public consultation regarding this proposed development scheduled from 6 to 8 pm on June 1, 2016 at the Tower Inn located at 500 Reid Street.

Multi-Family Incentives

Council passed the first two readings of the proposed City of Quesnel Multi-Family Incentive Bylaw. This incentive program would assist with the development of multi-family housing in the community that would allow developers to access funding through the Provincial Investment in Affordable Housing program. The Province is looking for municipalities to partner in assisting housing providers to develop self-sustaining housing projects for the provision of affordable housing. Should this bylaw pass, the City’s contribution towards these types of development(s) would exempt the municipal portion of property taxes for 10 years for a specifically outlined area of North Quesnel (Primary Growth Area) and for 5 years in a specifically outlined area of West Quesnel (Secondary Growth Area). Further this Multi-Family Incentive program would also see the City waive development cost charges 100% for affordable units and 25-50% for units meeting low environmental impact criteria.

Gymnastics Facility Design Development

Council chose to allocate $80,000 from the City’s $204,166 Gymnastics Reserve to complete Construction Documents for a proposed gymnastics facility. The Quesnel Technics Gymnastics Club completed a business plan in November 2015 that estimated the cost to construct a new gymnastics facility connected to the indoor soccer complex was $1.24 million. The development of construction drawings and specifications will advance the project so that it is ‘shovel ready’ and in a better position to obtain grant funding. Should the project proceed, it will be part of the North Cariboo Recreation and Parks Service, as approved in principle by the Joint Planning Committee at its April 22 Strategic Planning meeting.

Temporary Use Permit

Council denied a Temporary Use Permit proposed for temporary lodging use for up to 16 temporary foreign mining workers, for mining operations in the Quesnel area, for a property along Highway 97 North between Smith and Rome Avenue. Apogee Gold Corporation applied for a three-year temporary use permit for the following uses: 1. Office use; 2. Sale, rental, and lease of various mining equipment; and 3. Temporary lodging for up to 16 workers with ancillary meal preparation and laundry services.

Rezone Application – Secondary Suite

Council approved first and second readings of a zone amendment bylaw for a proposed development of a single detached dwelling with a secondary suite with proponent consolidating two vacant lots into one parcel of land located on Nickle Ridge Avenue. The Public Hearing Date has been set for 7 pm on June 7, 2016 at City Hall Council Chambers.

Quesnel Downtown Accessibility & Tourist Attraction Project

Council approved staff submitting an application to the BC Rural Dividend Program, in partnership with the Quesnel Downtown Association, for a project that will look at accessibility and vibrancy of Quesnel’s downtown core. This project will look at: retrofitting an existing downtown building to include accessible washrooms; improving the accessibility of the downtown network of roads and sidewalks and accessibility training for business owners/staff.

Bylaws

Bylaws 1781/1782 - Seniors Housing Development (Reid St./McNaughton Ave) – Public Hearing 7 pm June 28 at City Hall

Bylaw 1801 – Solid Waste and Disposal Amendment – First/Second/Third Readings

Bylaw 1802 – Mini Golf/Bowling Development (Racing Rd/Valhalla Rd) – First Reading – Public Consultation at Tower Inn 6-8pm on June 1st

Bylaw 1803 – Secondary Suite (Vacant Lots 4&5/Nickel Ridge Ave) – First and Second Readings, Public Hearing 7 pm June 7 at City Hall

Bylaw 1805 – Multi Family Housing Incentives – First/Second Readings

Next Meeting

7 pm – June 7th - Regular Council

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