Port Harvey Marine Industrial Zoning Hearing Report 7/2017

Andy, Thanks for posting that. It is a great photo and really shows off the "neighborhood". George's description is right on; There are few places you can get out and walk around the fore shore.

Thanks again,

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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I talked to Peter Stockdill today, and he had some encouraging words. There has been a change in the BC government in the last couple of months, and the new Minister of Environment is meeting with him tomorrow to explore the situation at Port Harvey. Also, the Commission members are aware that they are dealing with a concern much bigger that anything they have dealt with before and are there for being very careful in there decision making.

Might have some daylight in the mix, but still there is a lot in the balance.

Stick around, the road still has some curves and bumps.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Pandion":30b6kr6c said:
Fellow Brats, in case you haven't seen what all the uproar is about, here is what the folks in Port Harvey are working to save:

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I talked with George and Gail Cambridge yesterday afternoon, and they do have boats at the dock, making pizza and watching bulldozers front loaders and big rock dump trucks working across the bay, making changes to the shoreline and the area. And they are still working on contacts that could help in preserving peace and tranquility in Port Harvey.

They are expecting "Safe Harbor" (Sam Landsman) and "Airship" another vessel from "Slowboat Excursions" to be by in a few days or so.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Are these changes to the shore line permitted? Wow, in Florida if you dump one rock and alter the shoreline--DEP is all over you with fines.
 
Not yet. His lease and zoning are for residential use. In his application he admits to "stretching" the uses, and asks for retroactive permission for those activities. The Mount Waddington Regional Planning District does not have the financial resources or the enforcement provisions to assure that the use permits are followed. (My thinking that is one of the main reasons he is locating as far as he is back into the islands and away from the populated areas, [if you can call Seyward, Pt McNeil, or even Campbell River] populated, but they are out of the main marine traffic areas, which is the source of their appeal.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Thanks for the link from Kevin's article on Slowboat.com

What a mess Namu has turned into. Great photos and documentation.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Hoping there are C-BRATS in the area that will stop by and see how things are on Pt H Marine Resort docks. This should be a really nice time of the year there.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Here is a copy of the most recent email from Peter about the coming meeting at Port McNiell. (Some personal info redacted.):



Hello Harvey,

I just wanted to share with you what I know about the Regional Planning Committee meeting on September 19. At the moment there is no suggestion that they will proceed with approval. There will be discussion on the proposed site visit and the proposed Development Agreement. To avoid a 2nd public hearing all of this must be done without introducing any new information. May be challenging.
At this point, I plan to attend the meeting to observe and you are welcome too. The meeting is scheduled to start at 12noon in Port McNiell. I should receive a copy of the agenda later today and if it changes my mind, I will let you know.

Thank you for your continuing interest in Port Harvey

Peter
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Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Sept 19 was the meeting about the Port Harvey Marine Resort neighbors property use permit. Here is the email I received from Peter.


Peter Stockdill
10:50 AM Sept 20, 2017

Hello All,
To save some time, I am sending this to all of you at once. The trip back from Port McNeill was, as you can imagine a bit depressing but Jeff Long’s email below still gives a bit of hope.
I myself have been wondering if after passing 2nd and 3rd readings and Mr. Buttle complying with the attached requirements, could the Board still refuse to finally adopt this bylaw and put it into effect. The answer seems to be yes.
Jeff’s comments show that there is still concern about this proposal (very close vote yesterday) which might still give us a window of hope.
Yesterday, the Ministry of the Environment called to speak with me about our environmental concerns. I have just left a voice mail and hopefully I will get a response today. Will keep you advised.
Let me know if you have questions, I am home today and tomorrow.
Peter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Jeff Long [mailto:jlong@rdmw.bc.ca]
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2017 8:30 AM
To: Peter Stockdill <pstockdill@telus.net>
Subject: Bylaw No. 895

Hello Peter,

As you know, the Regional Planning Committee, in its consideration of Bylaw No. 895, adopted the following resolution:

THAT Regional District of Mount Waddington Zoning Bylaw No. 21, Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2016, as amended, be given second and third readings;

AND FURTHER THAT Regional District of Mount Waddington Zoning Bylaw No. 21, Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2016, as amended, not be adopted until the following conditions have been undertaken to the satisfaction of the Regional District of Mount Waddington:

a) The owners / proponents enter into a development agreement in a form satisfactory to the RDMW, that requires the proponents to undertake various conditions or matters as part of the marine industrial development and its operation, and that the development agreement be registered on the title of the subject property in the form of a restrictive covenant; and,

b) The owners / proponents apply to the Private Managed Forest Council to withdraw that portion of the property to be rezoned and used as part of the marine industrial operation, from the private managed forest land designation and that such removal is finalized.

In its consideration of this resolution, Committee members wondered if it was obligated to adopt Bylaw No. 895 if the conditions are completed to the satisfaction of the RDMW. After the RPC meeting, I consulted legal counsel who advised there is no obligation to adopt Bylaw No. 895 even if the conditions are satisfied, but that the Board may wish to revise the recommendation to imply this more clearly. As a result, the Board of Directors, in considering the recommendation of the Regional Planning Committee, adopted the following resolution with respect to Bylaw No. 895 at its meeting yesterday:

THAT Regional District of Mount Waddington Zoning Bylaw No. 21, Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2016, as amended, be given second and third readings;

AND FURTHER THAT Regional District of Mount Waddington Zoning Bylaw No. 21, Amendment Bylaw No. 895, 2016, as amended, not be brought forward for consideration of adoption until the following conditions have been undertaken to the satisfaction of the Regional District of Mount Waddington:

a) The owners / proponents enter into a development agreement in a form satisfactory to the RDMW, that requires the proponents to undertake various conditions or matters as part of the marine industrial development and its operation, and that the development agreement be registered on the title of the subject property in the form of a restrictive covenant; and,

b) The owners / proponents apply to the Private Managed Forest Council to withdraw that portion of the property to be rezoned and used as part of the marine industrial operation, from the private managed forest land designation and that such removal is finalized.

As you will see in comparing the highlighted sections of each resolution, the Board made a revision to the RPC recommendation in relation to consideration of adoption.

Thank you.

Jeff Long
Deputy CAO / Manager of Planning & Development Services
Regional District of Mount Waddington
PO Box 729, 2044 McNeill Road
Port McNeill, BC V0N 2R0
Tel: 250-956-3301
Email: jlong@rdmw.bc.ca
Web: www.rdmw.bc.ca
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Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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All in all, this does not sound encouraging. The applicant apparently continues to violate current laws, and would get the "permit" and go ahead and do what he wishes...

Correct me if I am wrong.
 
A somewhat general observation about Canada. The great compromise for the last 150 years is that Canada would govern somewhat from the center left, particularly with regards to social and welfare issues, but extraction industry and there infrastructure would be allowed any destruction of the environment that was convenient. No one wanted to pay for sewage treatment, and Victoria has been the poop capital of the western world - no treatment of what they dump into the Straits. Ditto for forests and mining.

ps - the compromise has been breaking down. First Nation and environmentalists have made headway, and the Conservatives have tried to dismantle the social safety net. And Victoria, bless their little colon, is/may be starting on sewage treatment.

pps - I claim Canadian and well as American heritage.
 
Larry H":2s3zxfe3 said:
Bob,

I think your analysis is 'right on'.

Rob,

That explains a lot about BC.
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Hi Larry,

Yes, I think you are right, Bob is right and Rob is right.

And I grew up, up there though I have no legal claim to Canadian citizenship I have many friends there, travel there and love it up there too. If I could have stayed up there another 6 months when I was growing up, I would have been able to have both USA and CDN citizenship.

I do still care about what is happening at Port Harvey. What happens there not only affects them, but the rest of our little corner of the world and our environment.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Here is George's (Port Harvey Marine Resort) response written to Peter Stockdill:

I think it is pretty much a done deal in spite of Jeff’s words, at the public hearing Jeff had stated that Buttle was willing to both those things. Don’t know if the agreement would be worth the paper it is written on as no one has had the stomach to address anything he has done to date. Its pathetic as the RDMW has stated on many occasions that they have no way or budget to enforce anything they do.

Was very disappointed after they pass a motion to do a site visit and then ignore it. I believe Jeff and some others did not want this visit to take place as the directors would all see the complete scope of the operation at Buttles and is not confined to the shipyard area. We have asked on many occasions why the whole shorefront did not have to be rezoned as it was all commercial. Jeff was aware of the scope of Buttles work on his property. Peter as you stated one director said while he had not been here he was sure there was room for these different activities to coexist. When they are going to destroy ones livelihood and way of life it would be nice if they actually saw what they were voting on before not after.

Again thanks for all the work and support on this issue, looks like I need to get a legal opinion on the way the various government departments have handled this issue.

George
Port Harvey
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Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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I received an update on the Port Harvey Debacle. it is in PDF format and I cannot figure how to copy it here but the jist of it is that the marine wrecking yard is getting a go ahead from the local council. Only one of the 9 members have ever been out to Port Harvey and that was years before all this started.

They voted sight unseen to let the resort bay become a marine wrecking yard. George and Gail and another property owner are taking the counsel to court, but that is going to cost them $$$$$$, so they have set up a Go Fund Me Page to help with the expenses. Here is the link to that page:

https://www.gofundme.com/saving-port-harvey-for-boaters

For now, Port Harvey is open and providing a great place to stop off for Pizza and cell phone service and good friendly dock folk.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

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