Goal Posts Continue to Move
On April 5th, 2022 our application was rejected 4-3 by Council.
We would like to inform the public that on December 20th, 2020, we signed a contract to provide $30,000 in funding to complete the Steep Slope policy (Figure 1). This would have been a cost saving to tax-payers as well as a job creation opportunity for Squamish residents.
It was expected to be completed in approximately a 6-month time frame. Furthermore, to proceed with the policy work the $30,000 funding had to be approved by Council in the 2021 Budget, which it was ( Figure 2 ).
However, after signing the agreement and receiving funding approval in the 2021 District Budget. The District planning department refused to accept the funding from us.
We were told that the District would not move forward with completing this policy work.
Even though the population has now surpassed the major goal post of 22,500. Mayor Karen Elliott along with Councillor’s Jenna Stoner, Chris Pettingill and Doug Race voted to reject our application on the basis that one minor policy is incomplete. Had the District honoured the signed contract, the Steep Slope policy would have been completed. There would be no plausible policy reason for the opposing council members to reject our application and we would no longer be wading through bureaucratic red tape.
Initially we wondered why the District would not honour the contract. But now we understand. The District is playing games and attempting to maintain their leverage and hold us at ransom.
Staff have stated that our application will take eight years to go through the District planning process. That is eight long years before new residential housing can be added to the housing supply. The Steep slope policy can be completed concurrently during this 8 year process yet Council voted against allowing this. Yet, at the same time Council continues to allow other landowners in town to proceed with their land development applications without a steep slope policy.
It is concerning to see that Mayor Karen Elliott, Councillor’s Jenna Stoner, Chris Pettingill and Doug Race have made up their minds to oppose our application without allowing us the opportunity to provide them with the facts.
Over the past 15 years, the goal posts moved with the population threshold and now the goal posts are moving due to the Steep Slope Policy. Until the Steep Slope policy is completed the District and the opposing Council members have a free ride to deny our application. There are no guarantees that this policy will be completed in 2023 or anytime beyond that.
For what reason was this policy delayed? We will let the public figure that out.
