News
In a letter to Council and the GR Refinement Working Committee on July 27th the Friends of Gospel Rock Society (FGRS) and the SC Conservation Association give their support to "use of high density housing as an appropriate land use for the up-land portions of the planning areas if this results in the conservation of natural areas and a more sustainable future for the Town and it’s citizens and neighbors." [full text of the letter below]
The letter from the FGRS and SCCA requests some changes to the location of the proposed wildlife corridor. As Brad Benson states: "There are sound reasons why the wildlife corridor should be moved from the middle of the housing clusters as shown in the Gospel Rock Neighbourhood draft plan (attached below) and placed alongside the environmentally important forested slope delineated in the draft plan. Significant environmental advantages will be gained by doing so." He also suggests a link to an article on "Fragment edge effects" for a detailed explanation, or suggests "googling such key words as: forest 'edge effect' fragment 'wildlife corridor'."Jeffrey Paleczny, Town of Gibsons Planning Department confirmed that the GR Refinement Working Committee is considering next steps, including reviewing the proposal for purchase of the GR waterfront. Following the June 28th meeting which presented the revised GR Neighbourhood Plan, they have summarized and reviewed feedback from the public and are currently meeting with the land owners to review their feedback.
The Committee will meet again in September to decide on next steps and take direction from Gibsons Council. Paleczny also confirmed that there will be more public consultation once the Neighbourhood Plan has been finalized.
FULL TEXT OF LETTER FROM: Friends of Gospel Rock Society and Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
Re/ Gospel Rock Neighborhood Plan public meeting of June 28 and GRNP Refinement Working Committee meetings of June 29 and July 12, 2010.
Dear Mayor, Councilors and Refinement Working Committee members,
For your information, the Friends of Gospel Rock and the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association support use of high density housing as an appropriate land use for the up-land portions of the planning areas if this results in the conservation of natural areas and a more sustainable future for the Town and it’s citizens and neighbors.
Generally, our organizations support the hybrid option plan for the upland portions of the planning area although some modifications are obviously necessary. For example, location of a “wildlife corridor” in the center of the planning area where a road currently exists, is not environmentally intelligent. The wildlife corridor should be returned to the eastern edge and connect directly with the Charmin Creek ravine.
In regard to the Town’s query to Gibsons Project GP Limited about possibly selling some of the waterfront to the Town, we feel that this is possibly an important new approach. However, we wish to reiterate for the record, that the Town, on behalf of the public, has a right and an obligation in law, to determine which land use or uses are appropriate and in the public interest. There is no obligation on the Town’s part to establish a neighborhood plan or any bylaw that allows waterfront development or any other land use that it considers to be not in the public interest.
However, if the opportunity to purchase a portion of the waterfront does materialize, the FoGRS and the SCCA consider that this might be an acceptable resolution. We may very well be interested in working with the Town, other community organizations or business groups and conservation partners if such results in protection for the forested lands above and below Gower Point Road.
We note that members of the Refinement Working Committee have stated several times in the past that the Town doesn’t want more parks and doesn’t have any idea how to manage for conservation values (at-risk plant communities). These opinions need to be carefully re-thought. Protection of conservation values will be an important priority for any potential funders or conservation partners and may provide a means of helping to deliver the Town’s goal of “land owner fairness”. Either a park management plan, a properly drafted conservation bylaw or a covenant, could possibly achieve the necessary protection and be acceptable to the public.
We look forward to new developments in the Town’s initiatives for resolving Gospel Rock Neighborhood Plan issues.
Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,
Daniel Bouman, Sunshine Coast Conservation Association
Patricia Braithwaite, Friends of Gospel Rock Society
For more information see the ATTACHMENTS and RELATED SITES below.