They are taking a definitive stand.
A strongly worded Squamish-Lillooet Regional District letter destined for the Ministry of Environment states, in no uncertain terms, that the region’s growth strategy does not include the Garibaldi at Squamish all-season resort.
District of Squamish council discussed the letter at a committee meeting on Tuesday.
“This letter does three things: One, it notifies the province the Regional Growth Strategy is being amended to exclude destination resorts,” said Jonas Velaniskis, director of community planning for the District of Squamish.
The draft letter was written by the Regional Growth Strategy steering committee, which is made up of planning staff from regional district member communities: Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Lillooet and the SLRD itself.
“The second point of the letter is to notify the province that the Regional Growth Strategy can only be amended by another jurisdiction in the region. It can’t be amended by a private [land owner],” said Velaniskis. “Thirdly, it is to notify that none of the municipalities at this point are considering or applying to submit an amendment to the Regional Growth Strategy to allow for destination resort development.”
The Elected Officials Forum, which is attended by regional district officials, directed the steering committee to draft this letter, he added.
On Jan. 26, the $3.5-billion Garibaldi at Squamish resort received its environmental assessment certificate from the provincial government. The resort is slated for Brohm Ridge and is backed by the Aquilini Group and Northland Properties. It would include accommodation for 22,000 people.
One of the conditions of the certificate was that the proponent needed to secure local governments’ approval “and that can only be done to an amendment to the Regional Growth Strategy,” Velaniskis said.
“I think there may be some confusion at the provincial level,” he said, adding that in some regional districts the growth strategy can be amended by a private landowner. “The one that we have at a regional level here can only be amended by a local government.”
Only Coun. Ted Prior expressed any misgivings about the gist of the letter, stating he is not wholly against the Garibaldi at Squamish proposal because of the jobs it would create.
The letter still has to be brought before the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District board.
Garibaldi at Squamish did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Chief.
