The District of Sparwood Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, August 20th at 7:00 p.m. The following items were discussed:
Show home bylaw text amendment:
A proposed amendment to Bylaw 1101 was given first and second reading to allow Council the chance to weigh in on the changes to the bylaw’s current text. District staff have drafted an alteration to Zoning Bylaw 264 to remove a text amendment made to the Bylaw in 2009. The Bylaw in question was originally changed to allow Whiskey Jack Resort to build up to six show homes on one lot.
Director of Planning and Engineering Services for the District, Danny Dwyer, explained, “It was a means to allow for construction to get started on that development prior to subdivision being 100 percent complete.”
Councillor Sharon Fraser agreed with the change to the Bylaw but wanted to confirm on behalf of residents that the construction of a single show home would still be permitted in Sparwood. She remarked, “Rumors are flying wildly around this and the understanding to most people is that we’re not allowing show homes up there.”
Dwyer clarified, “The ability to build a single family dwelling, which typically all show homes are, still exists. If it’s purely used for commercial purposes rather than a dwelling then there are other avenues in which that can be done.”
Council voted to proceed with the process to alter Zoning Bylaw 264. The next step in the amendment is to hold a public hearing to give the public a chance to speak on the proposed change. A hearing date has been set for September 17th at 7:00 p.m.
Bylaw changes:
Council reviewed draft revisions to Subdivision Servicing Bylaw 591, as well as 1994 Amendment Bylaw 1102 and 2012 that will make several changes in concern to aspects of developing within the District.
Director of Planning and Engineering Services for the District, Danny Dwyer, explained there are three specific amendments being made to improve previous set bylaws for developers “For the community fiber optic network, after the work has been completed then a payment of $210 per lot is made to the developer, so that helps offset their costs of installing the future community service that is a requirement.”
“The second is a reduction of the maintenance bond from 25 percent to 15 percent and that is based on the cost of construction for the entire development. Council wanted to strike a balance between the protection of the community and ensuring that development occurred.”
Finally Dwyer stated, “The third change allows for either the bottom lift or base course of aggregate to be placed, providing that it over winters so the maintenance time for asphalt can be reduced by one year.”
A public hearing has already been held in regards to the Bylaw changes and after first, second, and third readings, Council voted to adopt Subdivision Servicing Bylaw 591, 1994 Amendment Bylaw 1102 and 2012.
Public Works Monthly Report:
Director of Operations for Sparwood, Mel Bohmer, submitted the Public Works Report for the month of July. The report goes over a number of projects and work the District’s Public Works department has carried out over the month including tree planting, painting and maintaining hydrants, bike park maintenance, and street sweeping.
The report was presented as an information item to allow Mayor and Council the chance to review it and ask questions. Mayor Lois Halko asked for an update on how the gopher control program was going. “The gophers I know have been a huge problem,” she remarked.
Bohmer commented, “We’re doing it basically on a monthly basis now with the breeding season being done and we think it’s working good. We’re having a major reduction in some areas, some of the areas we haven’t been able to get into as much as we want, but it’s making a difference.”
He added, “It’s definitely loud and some people hear the noises and stuff but it’s one of the best ways of trying to control the nuisance gopher populations can create.”
Halko also brought up the recent relocation of several recycle bins around the District. She said, “There was some misinterpretation, some people thought that the recycle bins from the Silver Fox Pub and also from the Sparwood Heights were being eliminated.”
Bohmer agreed there had been some confusion but reassured Council they had not actually taken away any recycle bins but relocated a number of them to the recycle depot located in between the Husky and Esso gas stations. “The site’s up and running, I drove by today and it’s clean and has been not too bad to maintain for us so far and they’re getting use,” Bohmer said. “I haven’t had any negative feedback so far.”
Sparwood hosts Japanese Consulate:
Mayor Lois Halko spoke about the Japanese Consulate’s recent visit to the District. “On August 9th we had the pleasure of hosting guests from the Japanese Consulate in Vancouver and here to visit Sparwood was the Counsel General Hideki Ito and also travelling with him was the Counsel of Cultural Affairs Tetsuya Isono.”
The Consulate met with Mayor and Council members at the District Office and the Japanese visitors were also given a tour of Lilac Terrace and the Fire Hall. Halko explained the purpose of the visit wasn’t just to experience Sparwood. “We have a sister city, Kamisunagawa in northern Japan and at the time of the tsunami in March of 2011we sent them some support, a letter and some money of support, for the victims of that tsunami. They were so thankful that they came to thank us.”
Halko went on to say, “Within B.C. there’s 34 sister cities and one in the Yukon and [Kamisunagawa] received the most support of anything from those sister cities and they’re extremely appreciative.”
The consulate was also here to discuss the ongoing sister city relationship which was formed in 1980 and is now in its thirty-second year.
