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Council briefs: RCMP rural files on the rise

Summary of key discussions from the public council meeting July 27, 2020
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Terrace City Hall

Multi-family project approved

Terrace city council issued a development permit to Sutha Holdings Ltd. for a nine-unit multi-family residential development on three empty lots immediately adjacent to Clinton St. between Lakelse Ave. and Park Ave.

The lots are immediately north of a building on Lakelse Ave. that was owned by the Anglican church and which was demolished last year.

Sutha Holdings is required to pay a security deposit of nearly $40,000. To keep the permit they must begin construction within a year and finish construction within two years.

The development would have six one-bedroom units, two units with two-bedrooms and a den, and one accessible unit. The planned building has three levels and a basement. There are plans for parking access from Clinton St. The site is currently undeveloped and needs upgrades to the municipal lane to the south of the site, a cost of around $15,000 that will be shared between the city and the developer.

Microbrewery and Craft Distillery Zoning

Terrace’s zoning bylaw 2069-2014 does not contain microbreweries or craft distilleries as a permitted use. Those businesses would have to be located in a light industrial zone.

Staff noted that the brewing and distilling industry in B.C. is trending away from large industrial breweries and distilleries. Craft businesses often have a smaller footprint and are quieter than their larger counterparts. There is also increased interest in opening these types of businesses in Terrace, with one application for a site specific zoning bylaw for a potential craft distillery.

Council heard a recommendation to change the zoning bylaw to permit microbreweries or craft distilleries in the downtown cultural zone, service commercial zone, shopping centre commercial zone, urban commercial zone and central business commercial zone.

Microbreweries and craft distilleries would still be located in light industrial zoning if they do not have a lounge that serves alcohol.

RCMP second quarter report

RCMP inspector Jayson Lucash presented the detachment’s quarterly report, covering the period between April 1 to June 30. Within the city, RCMP investigated 1,955 files – a 30 per cent decrease compared to the same time last year. Rural files, which include highways, increased 17.5 per cent compared to the second quarter in 2019.

“I’ve noticed over the course of the last year, let’s say I’ve been here a year and a half, a little longer, it seems to me that rural files are trending upwards during that entire period of time,” said Lucash.

“We do have a fairly large rural population, Thornhill for example, I think that with the onset of the pandemic a lot of people were at home, a lot of people were not working, that can be good and that can be bad.”

Lucash cited fewer vehicles on the road, but also more mischief, disturbance and domestic complaints. Overall files are down 31 per cent, a trend the RCMP attributes to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three members in Terrace are scheduled to be transferred and replaced by two cadets from the RCMP’s Regina training depot in September.

The Terrace detachment has been engaged in a possession of child pornography investigation. The suspect was arrested, files from electronic devices downloaded and a report to Crown Counsel is being drafted.

Other second quarter investigations include a homicide investigation in May and a disclosure to Crown Counsel on a careless use and unlawful possession of firearms investigation from the same month.

The detachment received a grant to form what Lucash called a Terrace situation table.

“The goal of this table is to enable front line service providers to enhance their ability to respond collaboratively to community safety challenges,” said Lucash.

“For example crime, substance abuse and homelessness through a model that improves personal well being and community safety by connecting vulnerable individuals to the services they require to manage the risk present in their lives.”

Other notes

NAV Canada is resuming 24/7 service at the Northwest Regional Airport on August 4. NAV Canada originally suspended its night shift on May 13 in what it called a response to COVID-19. That resulted in four air ambulance flights out of Terrace being delayed or cancelled.

READ MORE: Four air ambulance flights out of Terrace delayed or cancelled

Councillor Sean Bujtas is running for a Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) director at large position. The election is set to take place at UBCM’s Sept. 22-24 virtual 2020 convention. The UBCM represents local governments in B.C.

City Chief Administrative Officer Heather Avison is retiring on November 30. She has served as CAO for over nine years and has been employed by the city for nearly three decades.

Following a public hearing, the property at 4820 Halliwell Ave. was re-designated from neighbourhood commercial to semi-detached residential zoning. That property has hosted a variety of commercial ventures since 1985, but has been for sale and vacant for several years. Nakkita Trimble purchased the property with the intent to renovate the building for residential use.

The property at 5008 Agar Ave. was rezoned into a split zoned property. Westland Resources Ltd., a technical consulting firm, asked for the north half of the property to be changed from from local commercial to light industrial, and an office was added as an approved use of the site on the south half. After some debate and opposition from Mayor Carol Leclerc, council was satisfied by the proponent’s noise mitigation plans and intent to stay at the property long term.

The property at 5506 Highway 16 West, leased by Williams Machinery, received site specific amendments to add industrial equipment sales, leasing and service. Williams Machinery intends to service forklifts at the property which is bordered by the Rainbow Inn Motel and the Wild Duck Motel.


@BenBogstie
ben.bogstie@terracestandard.com

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