Pic: Gagandeep Ghuman
By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Jan. 5, 2014
For the last few months, Cody Pepper has been looking to buy land for his business, Advance Truck & Heavy Duty repairs.
He is currently renting out a bay in the Industrial area that can barely accommodate one truck.
“I’d like to expand my business, but there isn’t a lot to pick from.” Cody Pepper
He’d like to buy at least one acre land where he can build a bigger facility to accommodate three bays.
So far his research has proven futile; there are a few lots available that satisfy his requirement and the ones available are far too expensive.
“I’d like to expand my business, but there isn’t a lot to pick from,” he said.
That is soon set to change.
Site remediation for BC Rail land in Northyards is complete, according to Ministry of Transportation.
“BCR is now carrying out final investigation, data gathering and reporting in order to apply to the Ministry of Environment for a Certificate of Compliance,” according to the spokesperson.
The property will soon be available for sale.
According to a previous BCR plan, the entire property would be carved into commercial parcels, with most of them sold in one-acre lots.
However, BC Rail has no plan to subdivide and develop the property into smaller parcels.
The ministry spokesperson didn’t say how or when the 90-acre property will be sold out.
The BC Rail land is currently zoned industrial, and its remediation could stimulate the economy, and help create well-paying jobs in town.
Kelvin Mooney is planning exactly that since he signed a rental lease with BC Rail more than a year ago.
On an acre of a lot, Mooney rents a 5,000-square feet building where wall and roof panels meant for homes across North America are designed and manufactured.
In a smaller building next door, Mooney’s company, BC Timber Frame, also completes smaller jobs that are fed into the bigger timber frame manufacturing operation run by Fraserwood Industries next door.
BCR lands provide the best opportunity for business expansion, Mooney said.
“We’d love to expand and create more jobs here,” he said.
Business owner and SLRD director, Maurice Freitag, said the BCR lands in Northyards present the perfect opportunity to job growth and economic development in Squamish.
“It should strictly remain light industrial, perhaps a small saw mill or boat manufacturing facility, but not hotels and condos,” he said.
Coun. Ran Sander said he believes the district should work diligently with BC Rail to market it to potential business proponents.
“This is a great opportunity for a fabricating or assembly type business that could receive equipment and materials through Squamish Terminals and deliver via CN Rail or the highway,” he noted.
Eric Andersen says
The District of Squamish needs its own clear, made-in-Squamish strategy for what it would like to see evolve at the BCR North Yards — for purposes of negotiating for Squamish long term economic development interests with the provincial government. The provincial government should itself realize that the provincial interest is not in “a quick sale for the highest dollar” or a subdivision and rezoning that would squander the rare opportunity here for larger parcels, a wood/ manufacturing/ distribution/ assembly industry cluster, with rail/ road/ tidewater connection logistics. Long term Squamish and provincial interests should be allied here.
Dave says
No condos, No houses. Let’s have light industry …The quiet type for Wolfgang’s sake please 🙂 This is a golden opportunity for manufacturing and some new jobs.
Better be quick before the alders grow!
Wolfgang W says
I love it Dave: “Let’s have light industry”…it is almost as good as “Let there be light!” …and be ‘quick’. And how are you going about it Dave? And why should it be the ‘quiet type’ since it is in the industrial zone? Must it also be fluorescent green?
Eric: Maybe the District should hire more consultants to develop the strategy you are talking about. I am sure the alders Dave is referring to will have matured by the time something gets under way… Yes, keep the land industrial, but let the market decide!
Eric Andersen says
As industrial land the BCR North Yards is unique — and very rare in its attributes. Potential for larger parcels, and (as per OCP Policies) it is dedicated to “heavy industry” not “light industry”. In the early 1970s BC implemented an Agricultural Land Reserve, because we can’t always simply let the market decide — or there would be a very different picture for Fraser Valley and Okanagan Valley farm land today. The BCR North Yards are also a scarce resource needing policy (zoning) protection.
Dave says
Wolfgang, I believe you have me wrong a bit; I was not attacking you, albeit, just a little nudge in jest. I do believe and hope the DOS will, and should, have some control as to the nature of new industries regarding such issues as: noise and potential pollution. If they can stipulate the colour of the roof, which they have in the past, then they should be able to do it with these things.
Dave says
OK Eric, what say we have a steel or aluminum mill? That will certainly shake up the neighbours who don’t want a campsite next to them for a week! You know that nothing is ever written in stone in this town, so push some decent non polluting, quiet productive industry. The OCP is molded like apiece of dough in the DOS’s hands to whatever anyway; so I wouldn’t rely on that one for an argument.
Eric Andersen says
Dave, I am pushing “some decent non polluting, quiet productive industry”. Enough with the fear-mongering.