With a second shot at a District of Squamish approval just days away, proponents of the Red Point housing development strived to get more community members on side through information sessions Monday and Thursday (July 7 and 10).Public opinion will play a crucial role in nabbing third reading on rezoning from tourist commercial to comprehensive development at the Upper Mamquam Blind Channel site since the decision will be made after a public hearing on Tuesday (July 15).There have been some modifications to the 216-unit project since it was last before council, mostly centred around the troubling question of traffic.Traffic specialist Terry Chow said a new traffic plan offers improved ways to maneuver around the cement median designed into the Highway 99 expansion work. The traffic plan puts an end to U-turns formerly proposed for the Adventure Centre and Valleycliffe locations.The new design is counting on a future Adventure Centre access ramp. Red Point's southbound traffic would first head north by turning right onto the highway, then utilizing a new Adventure Centre ramp to feed into the Cleveland Avenue intersection. Drivers accessing Red Point from the north would turn right at the Waterfront Landing site, turn around in a planned roundabout then turn left onto the highway and right onto Scott Crescent."For the residents that live there, they'll get used to these movements," Chow said.A variety of people turned up at Monday's information session at the Sea to Sky Hotel. Some were prospective buyers hoping to learn more about the project, while others were longtime critics of the development.Prospective buyer Craig Rigdon dropped by the information session and said he liked the new traffic plan."It's continuous flow," he noted. As one half of an active young couple, Rigdon said he was attracted to Red Point's recreation-friendly design with a base camp for equipment storage and its close proximity to the Adventure Centre.But many of those who attended the session had more criticism than praise for the project.Squamish Environmental Conservation Society president Catherine Jackson said the project made poor use of an area zoned for tourist-commercial. She said she would prefer to see the area used for something that is more in line with the community's claim to be the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada."We really have to value what land we have left for that zoning," she said. The new traffic plan did little to quell her concerns about site access."I think we can do a lot better than manufacturing this kind of roundabout," she said.Squamish Access Society founder and Smoke Bluffs Park committee member Kevin McLane said an economic study needs to be done to assess the value of other uses of the area, suggesting Kingswood not limit themselves to residential.Red Point spokesperson Ron Bijok said it's difficult to get both halves of this equation out to a public hearing."We're being active about promoting our project," he said. "The vocal opponents always come out. We want to make sure the other side does too."He said the company has been corresponding with the project's pre-sale buyers, many of whom live out of town, to rally up support for the hearing.According to marketing and sales director Barrett Sprowson, about 90 of the project's 216 planned units have been sold. He said the figure was higher before the project was put on hold last fall.At that time, Red Point had its third reading rescinded due to ongoing traffic concerns. Soon after, council passed a motion suggesting all proponents refrain from moving forward with projects in the area until the district develops an Upper Mamquam Blind Channel land use plan. However in June, council learned this process has been deadlocked by conflicting stakeholder opinions. Rather than keep the proponent, Kingswood, waiting indefinitely, council members unanimously decided to schedule a public hearing with possible third reading.
