Staff Report - Official Community Plan Amendment Application No ...

AG: Greenbelt (see Appendix “A” to Bylaw 8403). The AG zone is meant to protect the significant slopes on
the property; this topography also provides a natural buffer from the residential neighbourhood. Further, the
applicant is proposing to amend the existing Section 219 Covenant registered to the subject property to
change the allowable uses from a hotel, motel or restaurant to warehousing and storage.
2. Protection of watercourses and the environment
There are three streams identified on PG Map that run through the subject property. Although the streams
are non-fish bearing, they ultimately drain into Varsity Creek, a fish-bearing watercourse. Developing a ministorage
facility would likely require portions of the streams to be filled subject to approval from the Province
under Section 9 of the Water Act.
3. Inclusion of Development Permit Area design guidelines
An Industrial Development Permit would be required to develop the proposed mini-storage facility because
the subject property is within 50 m of a Major Road as identified on Map 9 in the OCP (Highway 16 W). The
guidelines, as detailed in Section 8.7 of the Zoning Bylaw, No. 7850, 2007, provide direction to minimize
the visibility of parking and loading areas, and to establish a high standard of design, colours, and materials
for the development.
Character of Highway 16 W
The proposed development is an auto-oriented light industrial land use. Highway 16 W is arguably the only City
Corridor that is not dominated by industry. The Hart Highway, Highway 16 E, and Highway 97 all run adjacent to
industrial land uses. From an aesthetic perspective, Highway 16 W has the opportunity to be preserved and valued
as a commercial gateway to the City that is free from industry.
Self Storage Facility at 4422 Kimball Road
The only designated industrial land use along Highway 16 W is a self storage facility at 4422 Kimball Road
(approximately 1 km southwest of the subject property). In 2007, an application was submitted to redesignate 4422
Kimball Road from Urban to Light Industrial (Bylaw No. 8061) and rezone the property from AG: Greenbelt to M1:
Light Industrial (Bylaw No. 8048). The proposal was to expand the total building area of the existing “Highway 16
Mini-Storage” facility from 2485 m 2 to 5387 m 2 . To date, the expansion of the mini storage site has not occurred.
The application was primarily evaluated by Staff against Policy 8.7.8 in the OCP, which generally states that Council
should consider suitable buffer areas, protection of the environment, and the inclusion of Development Permit Area
guidelines when reviewing applications for new industrial areas. The Report to Council, dated October 4, 2007,
stated “the proposal is consistent with [Policy 8.7.8] since it involves the expansion of an existing warehousing and
storage use which will have a far lesser environmental impact than most types of industrial uses. This will be
enforced through the registration of a Section 219 Restrictive Covenant to limit land use.” Bylaw No. 8061 and
8048 was approved by Council on May 26, 2008.
Trail Boulevard
The 2010 Active Transportation Plan proposes a boulevard trail along the property line fronting Highway 16 W
Frontage Road and Marleau Road. The details of this trail would be determined through subsequent applications
such as the Industrial Development Permit process and Building Permit process.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Department recommends that Council deny this application as the proposal is not consistent with the policy
direction set out in the OCP. However, should Council support this application, the Department recommends the
following:
1) Give first two readings to Application No. CP100071, Amendment Bylaw No. 8403 to amend the City of
Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 7281, 2001 by redesignating the subject property from
Significant Slopes and Commercial Arterial to Significant Slopes and Light Industrial
Document Number: 226896