Garibaldi Springs passes first reading in tight council vote

Squamish council voted to allow Polygon’s ambitious plan to redevelop the Garibaldi Springs golf course to go forward to public consultation in a tight 4-3 vote.
Councillors Ted Prior, Doug Race, Karen Elliott and Mayor Patricia Heintzman voted to support the development moving ahead to the next phase.
Councillors Jason Blackman-Wulff, Susan Chapelle and Peter Kent opposed the development, citing concerns about building on private land that is currently designated as a green corridor.
“For me, I think that it contravenes [smart growth],” said Kent. “I would rather see us fill in the downtown... and then start to move away from the downtown core. We’re sprawling out across the highway.”
A packed crowd turned out on Tuesday night for the meeting, held at The 55 Activity Centre, with extra chairs brought in to accommodate the more than 60 people in attendance.
While plenty of discussion has already taken place – council has received more than 40 letters about the development – the proposal still faces a public consultation phase.
“It’s just the beginning of the process,” emphasized Heintzman. “All of council needs to keep an open mind prior to public consultation. I think there are a lot of upsides to this project, and it comes with some compromises. We need the public’s feedback to find out if we’re going in the right direction.”
The current version of the plan includes 395 units in total, a mix of two and three-storey townhomes that include 18 affordable units.
Polygon has also agreed to give the district 4.5 acres of parkland and 81.5 acres of ecological reserve, with an extensive trail network funded by the developer. Maintenance fees for the park will be funded through townhouse strata fees.
While the final vote supported moving the project forward, councillors had many questions for staff and asked for additional information by the second reading.
Among their concerns were the ecological impact of the paved trail network, traffic impact on Tantalus Road, the affordable housing contributions and the final design of the low-density “cottages” proposed..
The possibility of a permanent daycare located in the property’s clubhouse was also suggested.
“Council gave a lot of good suggestions today that we will go back and look at again,” said Polygon CEO Neil Chrystal after the vote. “It has evolved and it will continue to evolve.”