The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George board of directors approved third reading of a rezoning for a proposed 13-lot subdivision west of Ferguson Lake Nature Reserve on Thursday.
The proposed development on the 32.4 hectare (80 acre) lot drew opposition from the Prince George Naturalists Club, Nature Trust of British Columbia and area residents, who wrote letters and spoke out at a pair of public hearings held last year (see story).
Following public opposition at the first public hearing in April 2021, the developer, B.C.-based Global Union Investment Group, revised the proposed design to include a 251-metre wide, undeveloped buffer zone between the development and the nature reserve. Instead of 13 individual lots 1.62 to 2.96 ha. (four to 7.3 acres) in size, the developer is now proposing a 13-lot bare land strata development with lots roughly two to 2.5 acres in size.
“When this was first presented, way back in April, there was a fair bit of opposition,” director Warren Wilson said. “I think they’ve gone a long way to make this more acceptable. I’m supportive of this going ahead at this time.”
Wilson represents Electoral Area A, where the proposed development is located – roughly 400 metres from Pilot Mountain Road, just outside of Prince George city limits.
Third reading of the rezoning bylaw is only “a very first step” in the process, Wilson said, and “there is a lot of stuff we don’t know yet.”
In addition to advancing the rezoning to change the property from Rural 1 to Rural Residential 2, the board accepted the proponent's offer for a voluntary no-build covenant on the 10.12 ha. (25 acre) buffer zone on Thursday. Once the covenant has been registered, the matter will come back to the board for final approval.
Kenna Jonkman, district general manager of development services, said the proposed layout of the subdivision could still change and won’t be solidified until the proposal goes through the subdivision process.
“The only thing confirmed through this process is the no-build covenant,” Jonkman said.
The revised proposal calls for a community sewage system, rather than individual sewage lagoons, which would fall under the jurisdiction of Northern Health, she said. Any proposed sewage system would have to be professionally designed and approved by Northern Health, and be in place before residents move into the area.
Director Terri McConnachie said she was satisfied the proponent had heard and responded to the concerns raised by area residents, with the revised design. The proposed development would create some more-affordable rural housing in the district, she added.
“This is going to provide an opportunity for more families and new people to enjoy the neighbourhood, as the people there already do,” McConnachie said.
Director Lara Beckett was the only member of the board to vote against the rezoning.
“This isn’t done yet, but I’ll be supporting it now,” director Murry Krause said.
This is an edited version of the story. The initial version of this story incorrectly implied the board had approved final reading of the rezoning.
