Squamish's patchwork zoning and lack of business space is costing the community potential dollars, says a municipal councillor who is proposing to clean up district's jumbled regulations.
Coun. Susan Chapelle moved to Squamish 14 years ago. After cutting through a maze of red tape to set up her business, she ran for council. Now, after almost two years in office, Chapelle said it's no simpler for businesses trying to set up shop in Squamish.
"Businesses have trouble finding a place in Squamish," she said from her office's new home in the Cornerstone Building on Cleveland Avenue. "Professional and industrial zoning is spotted here and there. All we deal with in council is re-zoning."
Cleveland Avenue is supposed to be the home of the community's professional space, but with little available square footage downtown, new businesses are sprawled across the corridor - from Quest University to Garibaldi Village Mall.
Solterra's 1,450-square-foot units are being built as industrial space in the business park, Chapelle said. At the same time, fitness centres and cafés are popping up in the business park, she added.
"We need to decide as a district what our future employment lands look like," Chapelle said. "I want to understand all these patches of business zoning."
Chapelle is sitting down with municipal planning staff to draft a request that aims to examine the district's various layers of planning. She hopes to present it to council next week. The District of Squamish is scheduled to redo its Official Community Plan in 2015. Land issues need to be addressed beforehand, Chapelle said.
"We need some direction and a plan," she said.
