By Korie Marshall
Rezoning of the property at Bevier and Mountain View Roads will wait until a voluntary covenant restricting hours of operation is registered by the property owners.
Robson Valley Construction has applied to rezone the property to allow the operation of a concrete plant and trucking business. Their temporary use permit expires in March 2014.
A public hearing was held in November, and the Board of the Regional District of Fraser Fort George considered third reading and adoption at their February 13 meeting. Terry McEachen, General Manager of Development Services for the district explained the board passed third reading, but will hold off on final reading until a voluntary covenant is registered on the property. McEachen says the covenant would have to restrict hours of operation, but may include other things as the Regional District is still in discussions with the owners.
Nineteen letters were received for the public hearing, plus seven form letters that Viktor Bugaychuk asked neighbours to sign in 2012, and comments from seven people were recorded.
Comments showed both strong support and strong opposition to the rezoning, with some neighbours indicating there has been some improvement in adhering to the hours of operation and other issues raised when the temporary permit was applied for three years ago. Other comments are supportive of the only concrete plant in the area, and many point out the plant has been in operation for as long as 40 years, much longer than most residences nearby, and that the property was identified as industrial in the Official Community Plan, even though it was zoned Rural 1 (Ru1).
Lisa Bugaychuck, spokesperson for Robson Valley Construction, says the company is “not interested in making any comments at this time.”
