Developers are looking to build housing, a school and hotel on 28 acres of BCR Properties land at the end of Bailey Street and adjacent to the Squamish Estuary.
Squamish Real Estate Developments, has written to council to object to the Growth Management boundary as drafted in the proposed Official Community Plan, which would prevent extensive growth on the property.
“Our Development Group has 28 acres of core development land under contract with BCR Properties LTD,” reads the letter to council from the company’s president, Ann Chiasson.
The developers are asking that the parcel be moved into the Growth Management boundary and be considered like the rest of downtown, and ripe for infill development.
“We feel that the railroad tracks to the west of the property serve as the natural boundary to the downtown core, and allow for the inclusion of this parcel which has a history of past development.”
A portion of the property used to be a landfill.
Currently, most of the property is designated in the OCP as greenway corridor and recreation, but there is a small part nearest Bailey Street that is designated “downtown” in the OCP.
The developers plan to build housing — including townhomes and micro-condominiums — and designate a portion of the units to purpose-built rentals, seniors housing and some as “affordable housing for sale.”
A daycare, “boutique adventure hotel” and French school are also included.
The letter states that School District 93 (Conseil scolaire francophone de la C.B.) has signed a letter of intent with the development group.
The draft OCP is up for second reading on Tuesday night at municipal hall.
