A Revelstoke landowner has applied to the city to place mobile camp buildings in Johnson Heights to accommodate construction workers for upcoming projects at Revelstoke Mountain Resort.
The temporary use permit application was presented to the Advisory Planning Commission and it will go before city council at an upcoming meeting before being approved or denied. There will be public consultation.
About 1.2 hectares of the 12.7-hectare property would be used for that camp, as the property currently hosts only one single-family dwelling.
The property is not owned by the resort, but the application is made with the landowner’s approval.
The site would see five worker camp buildings, for up to 60 workers, surrounded by a chain-link fence with privacy slats, parking stalls, landscaping, lighting, bear-proof bins and walkways.
Workers living on-site would be part of construction crews working on resort projects.
The next phases of development at the resort include expansion of the village condo-style buildings, construction of single and multi-family residential areas, servicing of new subdivisions, realignment of Camozzi and Mountain roads, upgrading intersections, constructing multi-use trails and building employee housing.
Temporary use permits
Temporary use permits were added to the Zoning Bylaw and Official Community Plan in November 2019. They are a tool that temporarily allows for land to be used in a way that it is not currently zoned for.
Permits can be given for up to three years, with a renewal for up to another three years.
Proposed projects must be compatible with the surrounding area and the city holds a deposit to ensure the land returns to normal when the permit is up.
READ MORE: Revelstoke City Council approves Temporary Use Permits
The land in Johnson Heights is currently zoned RR60.
Permitted uses include; single-family dwellings with no more than one dwelling per two hectares, farming, campgrounds, airports, wildland uses, gun clubs, youth camps, kennels, extraction of raw materials, solid waste disposal, schools and golf courses.
Despite construction camps being permitted in connection with upgrading or construction of utilities, transportation and communication works, this use does not align with the resorts proposed use for the land.
Official Community Plan
The current Official Community Plan designates the land in question as Urban Reserve.
Potential development depends on site-specific analysis and the minimum subdivision size is two hectares.
However, city staff are currently in the process of updating the OCP with Johnson Heights one of the first neighbourhoods being looked at.
A recent survey done with residents in the area identified a sense of community, safety and tranquility as three of many things of value to people living in the area.
With those results as well as information gathered through stakeholder engagement, city staff developed guiding principles for the neighbourhood.
Which include efficient use of land, preservation of the natural landscape and walkability.
Next steps
The application for the temporary use permit will be brought before the council at the Oct. 27 meeting.
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