During its regular meeting on Thursday, Jan. 16, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board approved a request to rezone a 4.05 ha property in the Wells Gray Park area from RL-1: Rural to C-4: Recreational Commercial.
The re-zoning will enable an existing legally non-conforming resort to develop eight additional rentable units.
The resort, known as “Across the Creek Cabins” and located 18 km north of Clearwater on Clearwater Valley Road, has three rentable cabins already. These received zoning approval in 1997. However, the zoning bylaw was changed in 2011, meaning the existing cabins are still legal but any additional rental accommodation would need a zoning change.
The property owner agreed to a covenant restricting the number of rental units to 11.
Capital grants approved for SAR groups
The TNRD board voted to provide a capital grant of $8,500 to Wells Gray Search and Rescue. It also awarded a $16,000 capital grant to Kamloops Search and Rescue.
Committee appointments
A number of appointments were made to TNRD committees:
• Judy Tobin and Ray Rosoman were appointed to the Vavenby Fire Department.
• Brenda Norman was appointed to the Blackpool Fire Hall.
• Bill Ludtke was appointed to the Wells Gray Country services committee.
• Katherine Chrystall was appointed to the Vavenby Community Park working group as Bob Rexin was rescinded.
• Hazel Wadlegger was appointed to the Joint Services committee and Tourism Wells Gray.
Approval to submit applications to Building Canada Fund
Staff was authorized to submit applications to the New Building Canada Fund – Small Communities Fund to fund four infrastructure projects listed in priority as follows:
1. Black Pines community water system intake
2. Pritchard community sewer system solids management
3. Savona community water system reservoir
4. Blue River landfill closure
The regional district is allowed to submit one application per community. If approved, the projects would be funded one-third federal, one-third provincial, and one-third from the proponent.
Preliminary estimates of the cost of decommissioning the former Blue River landfill range from $500,000 to $1 million.
Considerable work would be required to contour the landfill, improve site drainage and provide a proper landfill cover.
The Blue River transfer station was situated on top of the former landfill from the mid-1990s.
The new Blue River eco-depot opened in November, 2014, and the former landfill and septage pit are to be decommissioned.