Nanaimo City Council Aug. 13

While the Nanaimo City Council meeting had a fairly lengthy agenda there were few items resulting in much controversy or requiring much debate or deliberation.

Council gave first and second reading to a Bylaw amendment which would ban the trade, sale or distribution of shark fins or their derivative within the City of Nanaimo. This is in response to the repulsive way in which shark fins are said to be collected. According to those in opposition the sharks are caught with longlines and their fins are removed with the still living shark then thrown back into the sea.

Council approved a 99 year lease with Ducks Unlimited for their half-interest in the West Buttertubs Marsh located at 175 Pryde Ave.

Staff had entered an agreement with Nanaimo Senior Village Holdings for a piece of property which when subsequently advertised resulted in a competing bid from another company. Staff was recommending a suspension of the agreement with NSVH pending a submission from the competing company advising their final purchase price and intended use.

NSVH indicated they wished to use the land to build units  offering care for dementia patients in the future. This requires an agreement with VIHA which they could not submit without securing this land. It was this use of the property that influenced council to reject the staff recommendation and honor the agreement with NSVH even though their offer was for less money than the competing offer.

The City of Nanaimo is looking to sell property located at 1621 Dufferin Cresent which they had secured by having it severed from the Chinese Cemetery in order to accommodate the low barrier housing project planned for this site. Since the project has been scaled back this property is no longer needed. It was pointed out that this property was removed from the Cemetery with the understanding it was to be used for low barrier housing, and now it could be sold to commercial interests.

A property owner at 6500 Raven Road was seeking two DVP's to accommodate plans for his new house. One would vary the side yard set backs for the installation of a heat pump which got council's approval. The other application regards covering a sundeck did not. Apparently the applicant may have his sundeck built as proposed, but the deck could not be covered to the full length of the deck. The application was sent back with the hopes the applicant can arrive at an alternative design more acceptable by the neighbours.

There were several other items dealt with and it was announced that Blake McGuffie was appointed as the city representative to the DNBIA. The meeting adjourned at 10:00 pm.