Proponents hope to begin work on a development called French Creek Landing this fall, depending on progress through the Regional District of Nanaimo over the summer.
The proposal, which has been through two public information meetings, would replace the log buildings beside the French Creek Shell.
Rob Hill of Triple H Construction, owners of the property, said they hope some of the existing tenants will stay and they are hoping to include a new Tim Hortons.
The franchise decisions are made by the company’s head office, out of local hands, but former Parksville mayor Ed Mayne, owner of Parksville’s Tim Hortons said he would be the franchisee if the new store goes ahead.
The new project would include two 400 square metre (4,300 square feet) buildings and a 275 sq.m. (2,960 sq.ft.) building, roughly the same size as the existing ones.
The property is currently zoned Commercial 2 (CM2), which RDN manager of current planning Dale Lindsay described as a pretty wide category, but they are applying to rezone to Comprehensive Development (CD), the main distinction being the inclusion of fast food, specifically the addition of a drive-through.
Lindsay said the proponent also asked to be allowed to include a neighbourhood pub, but Hill said they hadn’t settled on what tenants may end up in the new complex.
Hill said they had to do a lot of work “to clean up contamination” left by underground fuel tanks removed 40 years ago.
He said the decontamination work has been certified by the provincial government.
The project is scheduled to go to the electoral area planning committee in July and then the rezoning application and development permit applications will be forwarded to the board for consideration.
