The Courtenay council chambers were full Monday, as the Comox Valley Christian School and environmentalist Jack Minard made their case for how to deal with sensitive ecosystems behind Georges P. Vanier Secondary School.
Council voted in December to issue a development variance permit (DVP) to vary its subdivision control bylaw so School District 71 (SD71) could defer works and services as part of its application to subdivide its land on Headquarters Road.
SD71 would sell a lot to the Comox Valley Christian School for a new school.
Council reconsidered the decision Monday after hearing from Ken Gaglardi of the Comox Valley Christian School and from SD71 superintendent Sherry Elwood, as well as from Minard, executive director of the Comox Valley Land Trust (CVLT) and the Tsolum River Restoration Society (TRRS).
Many in the crowd applauded when council voted to issue the DVP.
The question of the involvement of the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT) was a cause for concern to council, and Gaglardi read an e-mail from Holly Clermont, conservation specialist with GOERT, explaining the team鈥檚 position.
鈥淎lthough I must confess I know very little about your development, it sounds creative, precautionary and reflective of a community that is reverent of nature,鈥� stated the e-mail. 鈥淚 hope you understand that GOERT cannot support any development of an endangered ecosystem. If you choose to proceed and are successful, GOERT will continue to do its best to help you maintain and enhance the values of the site.鈥�
Elwood told council the school district has no educational need for this piece of property and does not have the resources to steward the land through the conservation issues that have been identified.
She also spoke about how the revenue from the property sale could benefit SD71 students, explaining funds could be used to retrofit and renovate buildings and support 21st-century learning initiatives.
Minard told councillors about the sensitive ecosystems on the land 鈥� a unique Garry oak forest, the last closed-canopy fir forest in Courtenay to his knowledge, and Towhee Creek, which forms on this hillside.
鈥淭his land is not suitable for development,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 not because of the Garry oaks; that鈥檚 because it鈥檚 a hillside that has a whole bunch of things going on. We鈥檝e got three interconnected valuable and sensitive ecosystems on this hillside.鈥�
The CVLT and TRRS see the potential with this development for the complete loss of the fir forest, a serious compromise in the hillside鈥檚 function ecologically and hydrologically and a complete loss of Towhee Creek, explained Minard.
Couns. Ronna-Rae Leonard and Larry Jangula voted against the DVP.
Leonard felt council needed to do what it could to provide protective mechanisms before the land was subdivided.
鈥淚 think the precept that the school has moved forward on is admirable, and we鈥檙e seeing lots of support if it does move forward ...鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 the question we鈥檙e dealing with. It鈥檚 a question of if this proceeds now without having as much as we can protected and doing it in the front end, the property could be subdivided and whoever is the owner can do various things to the property without having a proposal come before this table.鈥�
While he understood both sides, Jangula preferred to leave the property alone.
鈥淛ack Minard has made it pretty clear the best thing would be to leave it and do work on maintaining it,鈥� he said.
Coun. Jon Ambler supported the DVP, as he felt the status quo was not a legitimate option.
鈥淲e have heard the status quo is essentially benign neglect,鈥� he said.
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