In a split vote last Monday evening, city council voted to defer consideration of a bylaw required to rezone greenbelt space to industrial land in the Mount Sima industrial subdivision.

The majority of council expressed concern that not enough consideration has been given to the impact the rezoning would have on public trails running through the very area city administration is proposing for industrial lot expansion.

Coun. Dan Boyd told his colleagues he walked the trail again recently. The rezoning would potentially push one section of trail right up the cliff overlooking Crater Lake – literally, Boyd said.

Permitting the expansion of existing industrial lots would also put a long section of the trail right up against chain link fence along the rear property line of the expanded lots, he said.

Boyd suggested looking into the rear of industrial lots, which can often be quite cluttered as you walk by. It would not exactly be a wilderness experience, he said.

Council voted 4-2 in favour of Boyd’s motion to defer the proposal to bring forward a rezoning bylaw until there’s been an opportunity to discuss the matter further.

Coun. Steve Roddick said he recognizes the need for more industrial land in the city, but also noted the trail in question serves as a connector to the nearby Trans Canada Trail.

Mayor Dan Curtis and Coun. Laura Cabott voted against the motion.

Cabott told her colleagues she too has questions but felt advancing the rezoning proposal through the bylaw process would present the opportunity for further discussion.

Deferring matters could create an appearance council is unable to make decisions, she said.

Leading up to the Mount Sima discussion last Monday night, council had already deferred for more discussion a proposal to sell a strip of land along Falcon Drive designated as land reserved for public utilities. The land is needed to facilitate a new driveway access.

The Mount Sima proposal is being advanced by city administration.

Driving up the Mount Sima Road toward the ski hill, there are six industrial lots on the right side shortly after leaving the Alaska Highway.

Behind those lots is a large area designated as greenbelt.

Rezoning the land to industrial would allow the six existing land owners to expand their lots, according to the information before city council.

One of the six lots would be large enough to allow for its subdivision.

“Administration has identified a need for more industrial land within municipal boundaries, and the proposed amendment would add approximately 2.27 hectares of land for this purpose,” says the information before council.

There are currently no requests for lot expansions from any of the existing property owners.

In 2017, one property owner inquired about purchasing a piece of the greenbelt area to allow for expansion, but it never proceeded to city council.

Through that exercise, the planning department identified the area as suitable for facilitating several lot expansions, council has been told.

It has also been explained to council that any requirement to relocate the trail network would be at the city’s expense.