Councillors in Gibsons had another chance last night to hash out some issues around a proposal for a waterfront conference centre hotel.
Most of the debate was around whether the Town should be getting a third-party study of the potential economic benefits as part of the re-zoning application for The George.
Councillor Dan Bouman says they should.
Others, including Councillor Gerry Tretick, argued that requiring such a study isn’t appropriate, and could set an uncomfortable precedent.
In the end an economic benefits report was rejected by the majority on Council. Mayor Wayne Rowe, however, says he may be willing to revisit the idea.
Councillor Lee Ann Johnson also wants to see more detailed visual impact studies, but a motion on that was set aside because planning staff say it could be included in a report on concerns raised by the Advisory Planning Commission that Council is already asking for.
Town planners were given the go-ahead to continue drafting new zoning bylaws under terms approved earlier, which include studies on potential impact to the aquifer. Those bylaws will be subject to a public hearing.
