Clearwater town council issued a development permit on April 15 for Buy-Low Foods’ proposed shopping centre next to the roundabout on Highway 5.
The permit essentially means that the proposal meets the conditions outlined in the official community plan (OCP), including the natural look called for in the OCP.
Buy-Low still needs to get a building permit for the project, but in the meantime can begin preparing the ground.
Equipment, including an excavator and a semi-trailer, have been moved onto the site in apparent preparation for beginning work this week.
“This is an historic event for Clearwater,” commented Mayor John Harwood, noting that this is the first development permit to be issued by the municipality since it was formed over five years ago.
The new shopping center will serve both the residents of Clearwater and area, plus tourists and others travelling on the highway, he said.
The applicant proposes to develop a 4,300 sq. meter (46,000 sq. ft.) shopping center, reported Alexander Krause, a planner with Thompson-Nicola Regional District (the municipality contracts with the TNRD for its planning and building permit services).
The development permit would be for the construction of two buildings – the first phase of the project. It would also include 280 parking spots – including several oversized ones for trucks and RVs.
There will be a separate application for signage, Krause said, as the developer is not yet sure what the tenants will want.
Clearwater does not yet have a designated sign bylaw, but the appearance of the signage would need to comply with the OCP.
Construction of a proposed third building would also require a separate development permit application.
The proposed shopping centre would be located in the Wells Gray Gateway development permit area, which is one of three such areas outlined in the OCP.
Water and sewer already extend to the edge of the property. The developer will upgrade Murtle Crescent and construct a sidewalk/alternative traffic route. The proposal includes two access driveways from Murtle Crescent and no direct access to Highway 5.
The land is zoned Retail Commercial but is designated as Suburban Residential in the OCP. Krause explained that the designation is intended as a vision for future land use if commercial development does not proceed as permitted by zoning. The OCP designation does not preclude commercial use.
The intent of the Wells Gray Gateway development permit area in the OCP includes having a service center that reflects the outdoor adventure and alpine environments.
It seeks to create a “village” and avoid being a “highway strip mall”.
Krause noted that the design minimizes expanses of straight walls and includes several features, including roof canopies, display windows, walkways, plaza area and landscaping, to relate the buildings to pedestrian scale.
The buildings are proposed to be finished in terracotta stucco, grey-brown metal profile cladding with timber posts, beams and siding. The bases of the columns will include stone.
Although the development will not achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), it will incorporate energy efficiency where practical, including the use of LED lights.
The applicant’s landscape architect has estimated the cost of landscaping at $174,000. The municipality will be provided with a letter of credit for that amount to ensure maintenance and survival of the landscaping.
Sixty per cent of the money will be returned upon substantial completion and the remainder after one year.