Band has made deal with Concord Pacific to develop site
David Carrigg
Sun
Motorist travels near Porteau Cove on the Sea to Sky Highway. The Squamish band plans to turn Porteau Cove into a 3,500-strong residential community. FILE PHOTO BONNY MAKAREWICZ — THE PROVINCE
The Squamish band’s bid to turn Porteau Cove into a 3,500-strong residential community is a step closer, with the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District approving the plan in principle.
The band wants to develop 1,400 homes on a large parcel of land the band received from the province as part of a land swap in 2000.
“We are just developing the lots, we aren’t building the homes,” said Squamish band chief Gibby Jacob. “There’s some relatively steep areas where you can’t build, but there’s a nice plateau as well. There are some view lots there that are just spectacular, you can see to Squamish and the Sunshine Coast. If I could I would move there myself, but I couldn’t afford it.”
The bulk of the development will occur east of the CN rail line and south of the Porteau Cove Provincial Park.
The band has struck a deal with Concord Pacific to develop the site.
The project will include single-family and multiple family residences and meets the regional districts vision for the area.
Jacob said the land will not be leasehold and will instead be sold off freehold prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The band submitted its Porteau Cove Development Application last December and it was approved in principle last month by the district directors.
“I don’t expect any problems but I could be wrong,” Jacob said.
“I’ve been wrong once before but it’s a node that they identified as developable land,” he said.
Paul Edgington, Squamish-Lillooet Regional District administrator, said a public hearing into the plan will begin September. The site is 38 kilometres north of Vancouver on Highway 99. The development is expected to be similar to the communities of Furry Creek and Britannia Beach.
© The Vancouver Province 2005