It could have been a showdown between environmentalists and a developer, but one Squamish project bridged the gap.
Sustainable Development
It could have been a showdown between environmentalists and a developer, but one Squamish project bridged the gap.
All ingredients were in place for an eco-battle, but instead the district blazed a planning path showing that growth and conservation can co-exist.
The community has boomed, especially after the designation of Whistler as a 2010 Olympic venue and the subsequent upgrades of the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
“We have been discovered,” said Mick Gottardi, Squamish director of community development.
Developers such as Westmana, Pridham, Solterra and Seabright have arrived in the community with plans for new high-rise condominiums in the downtown area.
However, the growth is happening next door to the Squamish estuary area, which is described as representative of one of the most rare and biologically productive ecosystems on the B.C. Coast by the provincial government.
Westmana is currently marketing its downtown 65-unit The ParkHouse, located next to the estuary reserve.
“It is unique,” said Robin Fenn project manager.
“We are on the edge of the estuary and within walking distance of what is a great wilderness area, and yet only minutes from Save-On-Foods.”
The element that has staved off conflict is solid planning plus recognition by residents that Squamish’s estuary should be protected, said Gottardi.
Squeezed between water and estuary preserve, Squamish downtown is going up rather than out.
“One of the base initiatives of council is to try to increase density and the downtown population,” he said, adding Squamish opted into the Smart Growth Community program in 2004, which advocates denser cores, reduced reliance on vehicles and reducing sprawl.
The downtown core population is now at 1,000-2,000 and it is expected to rise to l0,000 over the next few decades, said Gottardi.
Chairman Tom Bruusgaard of the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation (SODC) said there are essentially three groups of lands in the district.
The first is the 1,700 acres of preserved estuary, the second is 400 acres of lands outside the estuary designated for possible future development and the 450 acres located in the downtown core that is currently undergoing densification.
SODC is a subsidiary of the district charged with developing about 70 acres of land in the former industrial oceanfront area.
One such area is the site of a former chemical plant, which cost $45 million to clean up.
Estuary lands were locked down in l999, followed by the announcement in April 2008 of a Squamish Estuary Wilderness Management Plan.
The wilderness plan flows from 20 years of planning under the Squamish Estuary Management Plan (SEMP).
The SEMP is a multi-agency committee that includes representatives from federal, provincial and local governments and BC Rail.
The planning process included consultation with First Nations, stakeholders and the public.
The SEMP identified areas for industrial development, conservation for further assessment and recommended a portion be set aside wilderness area under the B.C. Wildlife Act, which was done in April.
Westmana is proposing to build its Ocean’s Gateway development on a 20-acre property that is part of the Squamish peninsula lands in the industrial area.
“We (SODC) don’t control the physical ownership of the lands,” said Bruusgaard, but SODC directs development.
The challenge is now to find Eco-friendly industry that would fit with the mixed use that is generally favored for this area.
One of the suggestions is a marina that could handle larger vessels and also marine support services.
Bruusgaard said he expects that the master planner will complete his recommendations by spring 2009.
“We are looking to deal with Whistler up the road and trying to determine what can be done to make a product that will list us as destination,” he said. “We have a very unique situation in the valley.”
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