When residents want information, Port Hardy’s Chief Administrative Officer Heather Nelson-Smith has the answers.
The Gazette contacted Nelson-Smith for more details regarding the application for development of a McDonald’s fast food restaurant at the old Shell gas station site that was recently demolished, and she was quick to dish out all the facts and nothing but the facts.
When it comes to new businesses wanting to open in town, “there’s a couple of different things,” she said. “When an applicant puts in an application, the first thing we have to do is confirm the zoning is all within the scope of what’s acceptable … The next step would be they would request a development permit guideline, because we do have development permit guidelines they need to follow which address form and character within our official community plan, and then once we go through the development permit process it goes back to council and everything must meet the requirements of the development permit, and after that, the permit is then provided and they can apply for a building permit and a business license.”
The area in question is in fact zoned for a restaurant, and the district doesn’t specify in the zoning requirements what kind of restaurant is allowed and what kind isn’t, so fast food chains are more than welcome to apply.
Regarding the residents who don’t want a McDonald’s in town, Nelson-Smith noted that it’s not a council decision whether to approve or deny, and as long as the McDonald’s applicant meets all of the requirements of the development permit guidelines, “That’s what council approves,” she said. “Building permits are not discretionary, so if they meet all of the requirements of the building code, the zoning and everything else, then the permits are issued.”
The District of Port Hardy has no restrictive bylaws in place that would give council the power to approve or deny chains from coming into town and opening businesses.
When asked if she had anything she wanted to say to the community about the project, Nelson-Smith noted that “In terms of the actual property itself, we’ve been waiting a long time for something to happen on that property … It’s great to see some life being breathed back into that area.”
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