The current Garibaldi Springs Golf Resort could soon be redeveloped into a master-planned housing community.
A delegation from Vancouver housing developer Polygon presented a proposal for the property to the District of Squamish community development standing committee Tuesday afternoon.
The sale of the 118-acre golf course from current owner, developer Doug Day, to Polygon is slated to close June 15, according to Kevin Shoemaker, vice-president of development at Polygon.
Phase one of the development would include approximately 200 townhomes in the upper northern region of the property, Shoemaker said.
Phase two is not determined yet, said Shoemaker, because the southern portion of the property has challenges with riparian areas, soils and access.
He said Polygon has considered some sort of housing – perhaps eight small cabins – in the area. No firm plans for phase two have been made, Shoemaker stressed.
Polygon is proposing the donation of 80 acres of the property as a public park, “which will take what is now a private green space and make it a public amenity,” Shoemaker said.
The development’s architect, Raymond Letkeman, said the idea for the whole site is housing within the park.
The philosophy is “to develop these pockets of development within the park area itself,” Letkeman said.
This development proposal requires an Official Community Plan zoning amendment to change its designation from greenway corridor to residential, and no application has yet been submitted to the district, according to Councillor Karen Elliott, who is currently the acting mayor.
Councillor Susan Chapelle said while she appreciated the philosophy behind the project and Squamish’s need for housing, she wants it to be clear to the public the area is already a park, though private.
“It is very important to include community feedback,” she said. “You are going to allocate 80 acres as park that is park right now – green space right now – it doesn’t need to be reallocated as park…. You are asking to tie residential development into what we are already using that space for. ”
Local landscape architect Bruce Hemstock of PWL Partnership said it was a unique project for his company. “It is not very often where we get involved with a project that not only provides housing, but 80 acres of park – that is pretty unusual, in any place,” he said.
Councillor Doug Race said the proposal would turn the space from private into public domain – “which it is not now,” he said.
Michael Audain, chair of Polygon and art philanthropist responsible for Whistler’s new Audain Art Museum, was also in the audience for the presentation but did not address council.
Day said after the meeting it wasn’t his time to comment but added his family was happy Polygon was interested in the property. “They are the best,” he said.
An open house hosted by Polygon is slated for Thursday evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Executive Suites Hotel and Resort clubhouse.
