After more than 10 years of debate and two and a half yearsin front of city council, the Town of Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast has votedto amend current zoning to allow development of the George Hotel, the firstwaterfront hotel to be built in the tourist town a ferry ride north from WestVancouver.
The controversial project sparked a division in the coastaltown that was made famous by The Beachcombers TV series. Mayor Wayne Rowe said some Gibsons resident were against thedevelopment, fearing it would ruin the ambience of the bucolic community.
However, Rowe noted that overall community support wasstrong and the four town council members passed the rezoning applicationunanimously.
For Rowe, the greatest concern was losing the interest of KlausFuerniss, the Gibson developer who, over the last decade, has been consistentlystymied in his attempts to build a waterfront hotel.
“I came with a dream, but it is the overwhelming support ofthe Gibsons community that made it happen,” Fuerniss said. “This is aboutbuilding an economic stimulator that the community can enjoy and benefit from.”
Colleen Dixon, an architect with Vancouver-based Omicron Architecture,said the developer reduced the height of the George and made other changes toprotect views and the town’s water supply.
Fuerniss said he wants to startconstruction by 2016, but the project still has to get environmental,geotechnical and fisheries permits before work can begin.
“We don’t have a building permit yetand that won’t come until after all the studies are complete,” Fuerniss said,in forecasting an opening day in 2018 or 2019.
The waterfront development wouldfeature two mid-rise towers with a 118-room hotel, a conference centre and35 luxury condominiums. It would also include a fully staffed healthand wellness centre, an extended public waterfront walkway and boat moorage. Thereare also plans for a satellite campus of Vancouver Community College.
According to Fuerniss, the projectwill generate construction jobs and at least 130 full-time jobs whencomplete.
Employment is badly needed in thearea following the shut down of half of Paper Excellence’s Howe Sound Pulp andPaper mill this July which resulted in the loss of 180 jobs, he noted.
- With files from the Coast Reporter
