The contentious proposal for a pocket neighbourhood on Finch Drive was debated at a public hearing at council on March 3.
Twenty-two speakers took to the podium to speak for or against Hummingbird Lane, a proposed eight-home subdivision.
Proponents expressed their desire to live in an affordable, sustainable neighbourhood with likeminded individuals.
“We found it refreshing to learn of a group of people who were trying to do what we had been thinking of doing for a few years,” said Sean Bickerton, one of the proponents of the development. “And that is find a way to live smaller and in a way that is more financially reasonable for a young family.”
Bickerton said he and his wife liked that the development would embrace the existing values of the current semi-rural community.
“The essence of this proposal is about responsible development principles, neighbourly interactions between Hummingbird Lane owners and respect for privacy and minimizing impacts on its surrounding residents,” he said, echoing many of the proponents who spoke.
The property has 12 registered owners, according to Bickerton, pointing out that no developers or corporations are involved. “There is no room for fine print or hidden agendas in this proposal,” he said.
Although it is a small development compared with many in the district – the Oceanfront and Cheekye developments, for example – the Hummingbird Lane development has been the focus of much opposition from neighbours.
Doug Gordon, a direct neighbour of the proposed development site, was like many who spoke in opposition in that he didn’t object to the concept of the pocket neighbourhood, rather to the overall change to the community the division of the one lot into eight could spark.
“It is a lovely idea,” Gordon said, “[but this] is in opposition to an unprecedented rezoning of this area that will not stop. Once this goes through, many others will follow quickly behind,” he said.
“It is put forward as an affordable housing project, unfortunately this is only affordable the first time around. It is going to be resold at market value at any time. Rezoning does not cap the resale of these homes.”
Gordon said other lots in the future could be sold and subdivided to eight or to 16 lots, completely changing the nature of the rural area.
Other speakers in opposition mentioned the dog kennel next door to the property, which may lead to noise complaints from the new tenants. Still others referenced the equestrian nature of the area and how that may be lost due to the development.
“Finch Drive is zoned as a rural area. The essence of that provides a pocket community for people wanting animals and a country lifestyle,” said Gail Christopher, a Finch Drive resident. “Local businesses cater to equestrians of all ages, and this mutual love of horses has created a friendly, caring community.”
Christopher said people come from all over Squamish to take riding lessons or to visit the animals. She worries this will change if the rezoning to allow for Hummingbird Lane goes ahead.
Other speakers who supported the project chalked the opposition up to NIMBYism.
“It doesn’t make sense that they don’t want to share this big piece of land,” said Thor Froslev of Brackendale. “Now they are all big land owners and they want to sit on their estate, whether it is one acre, two acres or three acres, and I don’t think they should be allowed to do that. Small housing is definitely needed in this community.”
The bylaw amendment for the development will go before council for a second reading at an upcoming council meeting.
