As a result of concerns with the new senior centre ventilation system, the District of Squamish is investigating legal ramifications.
At a council meeting on Tuesday (March 3) council directed staff to investigate the legal ramifications the district may experience as a result of ventilation from the kitchen in the senior centre.
Coun. Corrine Lonsdale said seniors are saying the development of a side ventilation system - as opposed to a vertical system - may add cooking odours to the air and affect those living in apartments above the air vent.
"They are concerned that cooking odours may drift into some of the upper units, which might stop them from using the kitchen as intended," Lonsdale said.
When initial designs were received in 2007, Ray Miles said in a letter to mayor and council that feedback from Solterra development indicated they would not consider anything but side venting.
Lonsdale said the Select Committee on Seniors Issues has since been assured the ventilation system is very high tech and odour will not be an issue.
"Apparently the system works very well because McDonald's restaurants in the Lower Mainland use the same system," Lonsdale said.
Lonsdale said seniors want to operate a commercial kitchen with a Meals on Wheels program running out of the facility. She said the kitchen will be outfitted with commercial stoves and dishwashers and seniors want to make sure they are used.
Mayor Greg Gardner, former chair of the committee, said when concerns about ventilation were raised, Solterra was unable to accommodate installing a vertical vent. Despite information indicating the side vent is indeed safe, Gardner said staff has been directed to look into the issue.
"The district will be the owner of the senior centre so we asked staff to look into potential legal ramifications," Gardner said.
Information on the legal issues surrounding ventilation will be brought back to the committee for the next meeting at the end of March.
The senior committee also brought forward a recommendation that council avoid restrictive wording uses such as "recreation" or "activity" in the naming of the new senior centre. Council passed a motion to refer the recommendation to staff.
"Some people get ideas about a place from the name in terms of what goes on inside the building. The senior centre is not limited to physical activity," Lonsdale said.
Although details are not confirmed, Lonsdale said the new centre will host very similar activities currently found at the Tantalus Senior Centre. Glen Rudkin, chair of the Tantalus Senior Centre Society was unavailable for comment.
"I think they want to see programming along the lines of what is in the existing Tantalus Seniors Centre. A couple of programs at Brennan Park will also move into the new building," Lonsdale said. "It's all happening now and more programs will develop over time."
