Some local parents are lobbying against a planned development slated for the ‘teardrop’ property in front of Ecole Squamish Elementary School.
Four letters opposing the proposed residential and commercial development were submitted to council Tuesday night. Opposition ranged from the density of the project to concerns over traffic to the modern look of the proposal, which would include 104 apartments and 18,000 square feet of commercial space on the odd-shaped narrow property at 38310 Buckley Ave.
One of the letter writers, Kate O’Connor, has launched a petition against the development directed at council on
Change.org called “Maintain school safety and the character of downtown Squamish.” Two hundred signatures had been gathered by Wednesday.
A group of parents from the school collaborated to create the petition, O’Connor told The Chief.
“We hope that the project that is built will reflect the character of Squamish. We would like the developers to amend their proposal to scale back the project as a development of that size, in that location, is not safe,” she said.
The proposed development by LT Wave Holdings includes a 6,000-square-foot daycare.
The parents’ main concerns reflected in the petition are the safety of pedestrians and bikers, as well as the scale of the development relative to the surrounding buildings and school, O’Connor said.
“We hope consideration for safe routes to school serve as a catalyst for the type of development that is built. We hope for a traffic study and collaboration with the district for how to safely plan and build at this unique site.”
The character of the building’s design is also a sticking point. A glass walkway would divide one side of the complex from the other.
“The sky-tunnel is a very urban feature that is out of character for Squamish. We moved here to be in a small town, and the design of this building changes the feel from a town with mountain views and fresh air to a bustling urban centre,” O’Connor said.
The large scale of the development will also mean a long construction phase, which concerns parents of the elementary school students as well, she added.
In the summer of 2015, members of the Squamish Elementary parent advisory council (PAC), including O’Connor, protested a proposed oil and lube business planned for the same property.
In part due to that feedback, council rezoned the property so a light industrial business would be prohibited on the site.
O’Connor said the hope is council will work with the current developer “to scale the project down and create a safer entrance to the school with more visibility.”
District staff told The Chief it will be two months before the development permit for the proposal will come before council for approval.
The proposal will first go before the Advisory Design Panel, the independent body that advises District of Squamish staff and council concerning the design of developments.
