Prince George City Council has granted a one-year temporary use permit to allow a five-bedroom mental health facility on Grouse Road.
Council approved the permit at last night’s (Monday) meeting.
According to the applicant’s letter of intent, they’re proposing to operate a staffed community care facility in an existing five-bedroom, single detached house.
The facility is expected to offer space for up to five youths over a two-to-three month duration, and according to the appliant, with create 15-20 full and part-time jobs.
The applicant applied for a Temporary Use Permit for two years to “better understand the impacts of “Community Care Facility, Major” in the neighbourhood prior to applying to rezone.”
The application was not met without opposition, as the City received 40 letters of correspondence from residents in the neighbourhood, 38 of which were in opposition of the project.
Members of the neighbourhood also packed the gallery at last night’s meeting.
“I do think this applicant, and specifically the criteria they’ve laid out in what they’re intending to do is great,” said Councillor Kyle Sampson.
“My concern is around the assurances that we can be given to make sure it stays in that lane, if the business case doesn’t necessarily work out, where do they go from there.”
“A couple times in the report, the applicant wants a two year temporary use permit to better understand the impacts of the community major facility in the neighbourhood,” said Councillor Brian Skakun.
“I would hope, when someone’s going to make an investment like this, they’re going to know those impacts before they do it, so no one really knows what the impacts are to the neighbourhood.”
Skakun said another issue was that in their letter of support, the applicant had said they were mistaken in their interpretation of the bylaws.
“My job as an elected official isn’t to bail them out and change things and give them a temporary use permit because they don’t want to apply for an actual rezoning that goes through a more rigorous public hearing process,” he continued.
“They should have done all this to start with. Is there a no need, no doubt.”
Councillor Cori Ramsay suggested reducing the term of the temporary use permit to one year.
“I think it’s a fair opportunity to look at this and get more information which I think we’re all wanting,”
“I like to look at this and try and find a way to get to yes.”
“This gives them an opportunity to rebuild that trust,” Councillor Ron Polillo added.
“These are not newcomers to this industry, if you read the letter of support, this is a company that is doing this work elsewhere in British Columbia, and well respected, and I think that has to be considered.”
The motion passed 5-3 with Councillors Sampson, Skakun, and Mayor Simon Yu opposed.
Councillor Tim Bennett was absent from the meeting.