It was a chance for members of the Squamish Nation to have their say.
About 50 people attended the second public information meeting for the Cheekeye Development proposal, held at Totem Hall Tuesday evening.
At the first public information meeting, held at the Brackendale Art Gallery, many of the 60-plus people in attendance spoke against the development, and there were few Squamish Nation members on hand.
The development is a partnership between the Squamish Nation and Squamish Cornerstone Developments Ltd. (formerly BMS Cheekeye One Projects Limited Partnership).
The proposal is for 750 single-family homes – aimed at first time home buyers – to be built over 20 to 30 years in the Cheekye Fan area.
As the neighbourhood would sit in landslide hazard areas, a debris flow barrier has to be built and is part of the proposal.
According to Cornerstone, the $35 million debris barrier would be designed for an extreme debris flow event and would protect Squamish Nation reserve lands, Brackendale residents and Highway 99, in addition to the proposed 750-unit development.
At the meeting, developer Michael Hutchison went over the proposal and an engineering firm described the barrier and risk associated with landslides.
Hutchison said there are three things that could happen on the land given the risk of landslide: Current residents could be removed and no development done; development could be done with a barrier paid for by the proponents; or an eventual barrier could be paid by taxpayers, with no further development.
Hereditary Chief Dale Harry (Pekultn Siyam) told the audience that the proposed development and barrier offers safety for the three Squamish Nation village sites in the Cheekye Fan.
Development and the revenue it would generate is also very important to the Squamish Nation, Harry said.
“We wouldn’t do any development at the expense of our nation or at the expense of the community,” he said. “And we want to participate in development like anybody else.”
After a few non-Natives spoke critically of the proposal and about having the second meeting at Totem Hall, rather than in Brackendale, closer to the proposal site, Squamish Nation member Dan Lewis spoke and received the greatest round of applause of the night. “I live at the mouth of the Cheekye River on the Cheakamus reserve and we have neighbours – non-Native – that live on the other side,” he said. “We are all in jeopardy of the debris flows that happen from Mount Cheekye.”
About the objection to the large housing neighbourhood in the more rural Brackendale setting, Lewis said development is going to happen regardless.
“I used to be able to drive downtown Squamish and see 20 people I could say hello to on any given day, now I can see maybe one or two once a week, if I am lucky. It is just we have grown so much and we are going to continue to grow whether we like it or not,” he said.
Several studies have indicated a debris barrier and mitigation works are needed to protect existing and future residents on and near the Cheekye Fan, but not everyone was convinced the proposed barrier would be enough. “It is not safe, not nearly, and I know that and they would know that if they did a proper assessment,” said Squamish Nation’s Bebe Lewis. “My concern is they are not taking into consideration how much material that is there that can come down.”
At a council meeting on Feb. 3, council voted for granting a letter of support for an application to the federal government, by Squamish Cornerstone Developments, for a small-communities fund that would be applied to the building of the debris barrier. The development application requires an amendment to the Official Community Plan and a rezoning of the lands.
District staff was at the meeting and will relate the issues and comments raised to council, which will formally consider the application at a later date.
Please note this story has been corrected since it was first published. Council voted for the granting of the application on Feb. 3 not against, as originally stated.
