The controversy around the expansion of the BBK Bottle Depot died with a whimper on Monday night, but some residents are still upset by the decision while others are resigned to the idea, and still others are all for it.
City council gave final approval to rezone 2602 and 2614 Petersen Rd. to allow a new bottle depot building on the formerly residential lots. The two lots, at the intersection of Petersen Road and Hollandia Drive, are vacant and were primarily used as parking for the bottle depot.
"As a neighbourhood, we felt really betrayed by it," Hollandia Road resident Valerie Giles said. "To think that everybody's concerns don't matter. The message is as a citizen, you don't have any priority."
On May 9, 16 residents of Petersen Road, Hollandia Drive and the surrounding area spoke out against the rezoning at a public hearing and an additional four wrote letters opposing the plan. Following the public hearing, council voted five-three in favour of approving the rezoning - subject to BBK submitting a traffic study for city staff approval.
Giles said the neighbourhood has changed for the worse since the bottle depot started operation. Several of the opponents cited an increase in break-ins and thefts from their yards.
"This is just a quiet little neighbourhood that doesn't deserve this. The people who make their living gather bottles come here with their carts. Sometimes there is four-six shopping carts left at the end of the street," Giles said.
"You don't leave anything out anymore. A neighbour across the street is so concerned he has put in a 24-hour video camera."
City council overruled the concerns of the neighbours and the advice of their own professional staff to approve the development, she added.
However, not everyone in the neighbourhood opposed the development.
"We're for it," Petersen Road resident Shelby Slater said. "Recycling is important and I find it convenient."
Long-time Petersen Road resident Dorothy Laing said a variety of businesses have been at that corner over the years, and she's never had a problem with this one.
"We moved in in 1956. I've been here longer than anybody," Laing said. "I don't complain about people doing business and making jobs. I've never had any problem with the bottle depot down there."
Laing's son, Brian Laing, said the lots have been sitting vacant for a long time, and the new development should be good for the street.
"I've seen the plans for the building. It's going to look like a house," he said.
Expansion will take time
BBK Bottle Depot owner Austin Kim said he expects it could take one to five years to develop the new building.
"We have a greater vision for recycling centre. We're trying to figure out what the best solution, not just for BBK, but for the people of Prince George," Kim said. "What I have a vision for... isn't going to be a typical bottle depot."
The vision presented in May would be a two-storey structure with an indoor area for clients to bring their recycling into.
Kim said he'd like to offer a high level of service similar to recycling centres in the Lower Mainland.
Traffic issues resolved
City current planning and development manager Nelson Wight said city staff received a traffic study from BBK and approved it - with three conditions.
"Number one was to remove from the zone these high-traffic uses," Wight said.
A covenant placed on the site will prevent uses like a drive-through restaurant, convenience store or gas station being developed on the site, should the bottle depot not go ahead or change owner ship in the future, he said.
The alley used to access BBK Bottle Depot current also needs to be widened, he said.
"And the city will continue to monitor that [Hollandia Drive and Vance Road]," Wight said. "But there is no impact at this time."
City transportation engineer Glenn Stanker said the depot expansion is not expected to generate new traffic.
"Therefore, there were not any significant impacts identified for traffic on the northbound [Hollandia] approach to the Vance intersection. This approach is expected to continue operating at a satisfactory level of service," Stanker wrote in an e-mail.
"However, with a modest rate of background growth, the southbound [Walls] traffic is expected to experience longer delays during peak hours. This traffic is not attributable to the BBK development, and can use other routes."
