It was a close 4-3 vote but council remained consistent with a stance it took earlier: no banks in the Squamish Business Park.
At a council meeting on Monday (July 19), the local lawmakers voted to deny first and second reading of an Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment that would have started the process of allowing personal services in the business park.
Developers Ed Vernon and Ammi Tepper want to put a TD Bank, a Starbucks and a real estate office along with other commercial ventures and public washrooms on Lot 93 in the business park. The pair report that they have signed agreements with or have letters of intent from the three potential tenants for the property on the north side of Industrial Way near Hwy. 99. The current zoning does not allow for banking on the small lot so an OCP amendment is needed before a bank can be built.
The formal rejection by council doesn't come as a complete surprise because on June 15, council confirmed after a late night in-camera meeting that council opposed personal services, like banking, as a land use in the business park.
The district planning staff accepted the application for an OCP amendment from the proponents but recommended that council reject first and second reading of the bylaw amendment and ultimately reject the project.
"Staff view the proposed amendment as a fundamental shift in permitted uses that requires clear council direction and an overall reconsideration of the commercial strategy for the district," wrote district planner Sabina FooFat in her report to council.
"Formal direction from council to staff in support of increased personal services use and multi-tenant commercial development in the business park is required before staff could support this proposal."
FooFat also told council that the 0.329 hectare (0.812 acre) piece of property is designated as light industrial land in the OCP. She also noted that the land is designated as specialized highway commercial in the Squamish Business Park Sub Area Plan.
The sub area plan was created in May of 2002 and that plan was put in place to guide future development in such a way that it balances economic, social, environmental and other community values.
The business park vision statement indicates that personal services should be established in the downtown area and FooFat shared a portion of the vision statement in her report to council to emphasize that notion.
"Generally commercial operations will be limited to large format retail outlets and auto oriented service commercial activities," says the vision statement. "The park is not intended to accommodate small scale retail stores and personal services establishments, as these operations are better suited for the downtown area and the district's other commercial areas, as so indicated in the OCP."
Before the members of council voted on the issue, each councillor stated their opinion.Coun. Jeff Dawson started the debate by indicating that he favours the project.
"It's funny really because just three short years ago, Krusty's Five and Dime store could have applied to locate next to our town cemetery and we would have done both cartwheels and handstands to help them make it happen," Dawson said. "But times have changed. Squamish is now getting some much-needed attention." He said that every new business that wanted to locate in the business park had to struggle.
He argued that eventually auto parts sales were permitted along with restaurants, a hotel and a gardening store.
"Why did that happen," asked Dawson. "It happened because the marketplace is always at least 10 paces ahead of the rest of us. And as I've said before, when we ignore what the market tells us, we do so at our peril. And we won't get a second chance to get it right."
Dawson added that letting a bank locate on the highway will not put the final nail in the downtown coffin.
Coun. Corinne Lonsdale said that she backs the staff position."Staff are the experts," she said.
Mayor Ian Sutherland sided with Lonsdale saying that the idea of allowing a bank in the business park has been floated before and that council said no. To change now is unfair, the mayor said. While the mayor didn't support the inclusion of a bank, he did have praise for the project."The gateway concept is one I support," Sutherland said.
Coun. Sonja Lebans said the project included very nice buildings and would create a nice entrance to the business park.
"I think we need to go to first and second reading so we can get to a public hearing and hear from the people," said Lebans.
Coun. Ray Peters spoke against the project and commented on the traffic congestion that occurs on Industrial Way. With three council members in support of the project and three against, the last speaker was Coun. Raj Kahlon.
"This is a nice beautiful project," Kahlon said. "The location - I can't support it."
Sutherland, Kahlon, Lonsdale and Peters voted to reject the project.
Outside the meeting, Tepper said he felt that the message from the meeting was that council would rather see a car dealership than a bank at the key piece of property. Tepper is the majority owner of Sea to Sky Ford. Tepper and Vernon met informally with the mayor and staff after the meeting in the municipal hall foyer. The mayor encouraged the developers to sit down with planning department manager Cameron Chalmers to find a development solution that will work for everyone.
"We have to work with [district] staff," Tepper said the day after. Tepper hopes to meet with Chalmers today (July 23) to discuss land use options for the property.
