A new restaurant and liquor outlet are among businesses being considered for a new commercial retail building proposed for Sicamous.
At their regular meeting this Wednesday, Jan. 10, Sicamous’ mayor and council will be deliberating a development permit request, with variances, for the construction of a building at 907 Trans-Canada Highway Frontage Rd., located next to the Esso/A&W.
A related district staff memo to council states the applicant wants to construct a 60-seat restaurant and two retail spaces.
“The applicant has stated that they are seeking an off-sales liquor store to tenant one of the commercial retail units; however, the approval of off-sales is governed by the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch and is separate to this process,” states district planner Melinda Smyrl in the memo.
The proposed building is approximately 482 square metres, single storey.
The sought-after variances include a reduction of the required number of parking stalls, from 27 to 18, as well as a variance of the landscape buffer along the south property line from two metres to none.
“The requested variance to reduce the number of parking spaces is supported as the adjacent property would also be developed by the current applicant should this application be supported by council, and it is intended that the properties would be consolidated in the future,” writes Smyrl. “Any redevelopment would incorporate the parking requirements for both the proposed development and a future development on the adjacent property.”
Regarding the landscape buffer, Smyrl states the main focus of the property is the frontage, with landscaping to occur along the highway frontage and the property’s east boundary.
The memo also states the scale of the development requires improvements to the frontage road.
“The property would have to be paved and at least two ornamental street lights would have to be installed,” writes Smyrl, adding an engineered design of the development would be required and that it would have to connect to municipal services (sewer and water).
The memo also notes how, under the district’s tax exemption bylaw, the proposed development would be eligible for a five-year tax exemption which would be applied to the assessed improvements.
District staff are recommending council support the development permit with variances. The public portion of the council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in council chambers at 446 Main St.
contact
