THURSDAYNOVEMBER 7, 2013
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DEVELOPMENT DEBATE
Pheasant on hold
Staff suggests refusal; council wants more info JOHN HARDING editor@pqbnews.com
The debate over future development at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort was deferred Monday night by Qualicum Beach town council in front of a crowd that spilled outside the chambers and into the hallways. Town planning director Luke Sales’ recommendation asked council to refuse Pheasant Glen’s application to amend current zoning and the Official Community Plan. Sales told council he didn’t believe the applicant had supplied enough information and he also said it would be more appropriate to explore the development of the south Qualicum Beach area during the next OCP review, not slated until 2016-17. Coun. Bill Luchtmeijer said the information about the application wasn’t received by councillors until Friday and his motion to defer the debate passed. The recommendation for refusal put forward by Sales didn’t sit well with Pheasant Glen’s Craig Dutton. “The planning department continues to do what it always does in Qualicum Beach and that is talk about development, talk about resorts and then find every way possible to interpret every regulation as broadly as possible to ensure none of that ever happens in Qualicum Beach and Mr. Sales carried that tradition on tonight,” said Dutton. “(The town has) delayed, delayed and found every possible excuse to keep us from doing anything since 2009 and that tradition continues. We want to get on with it. We believe in the project, we’ve invested $10 million, we all live here. My dad’s 80 years old.” See DIFFERING, page A6
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124-C Middleton Ave, Parksville W E P R I C E M AT C H (See us for all details)
PETER MCCULLY PHOTO
FILL THE FIRE TRUCK FOR THE FOOD BANK: It’s the time of year when Parksville, Qualicum Beach and Dashwood volunteer fire department members will be collecting food and toys for the Salvation Army Food Bank. The annual food and toy drive will take place Saturday, Nov. 16 and Sunday, Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Look for the food bank bags donated by Quality Foods in the Tuesday, Nov. 12 edition of The NEWS. Above, from left to right are: (front row) Randy Henson, Quality Foods manager Parksville, Janice Hooper, Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department, Major Norman Hamelin, Salvation Army, Ryan Lay, Qualicum Beach Volunteer Fire Department, Shayla Huber, Dashwood, Lisa Clason, Salvation Army, (back row) Mark Chandler and Liz Olson of the Parksville Volunteer Fire Department.
Building to face wrecking ball JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
The town is taking a different approach to the issue of the residence in the Heritage Forest where a man has ignored a previous eviction notice — it has ordered the building demolished. Without discussion, Qualicum Beach council passed a motion Monday night that was brought forward from an in-camera session to instruct staff to demolish the residential portion of the
building in the Heritage Forest. Coun. Mary Brouilette told The NEWS on Tuesday the town looked into refurbishing the building, but she said it was cost prohibitive. The decision was made to try and save the stables portion of the building, but demolish the residential portion. A man has been living, rent-free, for years in the town-owned building. Council passed a motion at the end of May that gave the man a 90-day evic-
tion notice, but he has still not vacated the premises. Brouilette said Tuesday provincial legislation allows a landlord to give a tenant 60 days notice to leave if the landlord intends to demolish a residence. Brouilette said the man was served the 60-day notice last week. “We are going to try to save the stables portion of the building but demolish the residence,” said Brouilette. See LEGAL RECOURSE, page A4
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