Ramped-up project proposes 22,500 beds, 24 lifts and two golf courses
Cathryn Atkinson
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The Garibaldi at Squamish mountain resort proposal is back in the spotlight and its developers unveiled their most ambitious plan to date at the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) meeting in Pemberton on Monday (Oct. 30).
The latest proposal includes a 24-lift downhill ski area, two 18-hole golf courses and a large residential, commercial and recreational component at the site at Brohm Ridge - a 15-minute drive from downtown.
With 1,500 single family homes, 825 multi-family homes, 1,717 condos and 1,717 hotel rooms, the development would include about 22,500 bed units overall, easily doubling the current population of Squamish.
What's more, it would comprise a resort that would be about 40 per cent of the size of the Whistler, said Squamish Mayor Ian Sutherland, who was present at the meeting.
But Squamish-Lillooet Regional District planning staff expressed concerns the development conflicts with the SLRD's Regional Growth Strategy (RGS), which has yet to be adopted.
The SLRD board voted to refer the development application and environmental assessment process for discussion and direction at the next RGS meeting in mid-November.
Sutherland said that his staff were already speaking to Garibaldi at Squamish representatives, and described it as a "first stage" discussion on infrastructure considerations and environmental impact.
"They have a very ambitious schedule," he said. "I haven't yet seen the details, but it all depends on what they've done behind the scenes. They intend to be in the ground a year from now [building the resort], and that is very ambitious."
Previous plans for Garibaldi at Squamish ground to a halt with several lawsuits, including one brought by Squamish Nation in 2003. That resulted in a provincial court judge ordering Squamish Nation, the Province of BC and Garibaldi at Squamish Inc. to enter a mediation process.
Although he had not had it confirmed, Sutherland said he thought Monday's presentation likely meant that many of the outstanding objections to the resort were in the process of being dealt with.
"Given that they've come forward, they either solved the problems with Squamish Nation or will be able to," he said. "I can't imagine they'd be going ahead otherwise."
A spokesman for the developers would not go into details of any negotiations or other matters at this stage.
"There's nothing we can say at this time. It's premature," said Garibaldi at Squamish's development manager Stuart Fearnley. He added that the company hoped to make an announcement before the end of the year.
Sutherland said his Council would want the proposed resort site to be brought within the District's boundaries in order to bring the resort under its jurisdiction, which would mean expanding current boundaries. At present about one third of the site falls within the District. He added that the province had no objections to this in the past.
Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed raised concerns about the effect the development would have on the entire Sea to Sky corridor, not just on its closest neighbour, Squamish.
"We need to put this in a regional context. This is a massive amount of development in one project," Melamed said.Sutherland agreed.
"There would be an impact on the entire corridor," he said. "Growth strategy, air quality from cars on the highway, infrastructure. We have to respect how it would impact the corridor as well as us."
SLRD chair John Turner said he's not opposed to the proposal at this point, but that it needs to be discussed in relation to the RGS.Turner said he would not oppose a boundary expansion if and when it comes forward.
Sutherland said the absolute earliest the proposal could come before Squamish Council would be in eight months' time. He added that Garibaldi at Squamish was no Oceanfront on a mountain.
"I think it is a totally different kind of project. Done the right way, it enhances the recreation in our area. It would be one more piece in the puzzle."
With files by Jennifer Miller, Whistler Question
