Smithers council voted for staff to move ahead with removing “rescue mission” from the C-1A zoning definition.
This was made at tonight’s (Tuesday) meeting and put forward by Councillor Frank Wray, who initially asked staff to look into the process on December 9th.
“I asked for a simple thing, or originally came to ask for a simple thing and staff recognized it was more complex than that if we wanted to maintain control over what happens with this in our community,” he said.
Councillor Genevieve Paterson mentioned other zoning definitions in the bylaw could also permit a warming shelter to operate.
“Staff say, technically given the highly flexible and lenient definition of ‘institutional use,’ a proponent may claim the right of operation on any zone that currently permit it,” she said.
Paterson also wanted to add modernizing zoning definition to council’s project list for shelters.
“That clarifying the institutional use, it’s not just a shelter. Somebody could say it’s a safe injection site and was also institutional use so I really support that part of it,” Wray said.
Updating zoning definitions was part of the recommendations from staff as next steps in the process.
“We do feel the downtown core is still likely the best location for the shelter use because of the proximity to all the support services that are available and needed,” said Mark Allen, Director of Development Services.
One of the ideas in the recommended next steps was to introduce site-specific zoning which would give special uses to specific properties within a zone.
“In the best iteration of this, it means when there is something proposed, we’re aware of it in advance and there’s an opportunity to move down the path with the proponent and with any luck, bring the community along,” said Mayor Gladys Atrill.
Wray’s motion in December was in relation to the Bulkley Valley Harm Reduction Society’s temporary warming shelter which opened the month prior.
It is set to close on March 31 but Allen mentioned discussions could also play into the upcoming Heart and Hearth public engagement discussions.
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