Almost three months later after his last appearance, the applicant for the Sand Pebbles Inn rezoning has come back to council with many of the changes suggested by council.
The proposed 40-unit hotel at 2767-2751 Island Hwy. West moved forward to second reading with the amendments to the original proposal.
Council also approved a public hearing on the proposal to be held on April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Qualicum Beach town hall (660 Primrose St.).
Since the Jan. 16 council meeting and after meeting with the Advisory Planning Commission, the applicant has made changes such as raising the parking level to a grade elevation with an additional eight stalls, removing all inhabitable space below the flood construction level, moving the building two metres away from the waterfront and adding a rooftop patio space.
Sharif Senbel, of Studio Senbel Architecture and Design Inc., the architect for the proposed hotel, spoke at Monday’s (April 10) meeting.
He said the designers are trying to incorporate the small-town character of the town in the design, but also acknowledge it’s a seaside building.
“What we’ve tried to do is… bring some of the small-town character that we see in the town centre but also acknowledge that this is a seaside building and so we’re also trying to incorporate a sort of seaside palette of seaside materials and maybe some nautical inspiration there,” Senbel said.
The proposal would change the Sand Pebble Inn to a Comprehensive Development Zone 11 (CD11) from a Commercial 2 (C2).
The proposed hotel would have two floors of suites and a third floor that would contain amenities such as a spa, fitness area and meeting room. There are also plans for a small café on the east side of the building.
At the Jan. 16 meeting, council also made adoption of the zoning amendment contingent on a statutory right-of-way securing the public access route along the waterfront side of the proposed development, and an execution of a works and services agreement to ensure the completion of a pedestrian walkway proposed along Highway 19A.
Since then, the applicant has designed a much wider public sea-walk with planting, seating and lighting.
Senbel also said Studio Senbel has designed a return walkway to the highway on the west side of the property.
• Council also scheduled a public hearing for 560-570 Laburnum Rd. on April 24. The proposal is for 22 lots, ranging in size from 500 square metres to 1,200 square meetings. Six of the lots would permit duplexes.
