It was a packed house at the City of Kimberley Council Meeting last night. With standing room only, many community members were there to observe and voice their opinions on the outcome of the Marysville bench lands.
Council was voting on a recommendation to zone the Marysville bench lands as industrial as part of the first draft of the Official Community Plan.
Council voted five to two in favour of passing the motion, with councillors Bev Middlebrook and Albert Hoglund voting against.
The Official Community Plan is expected some time in the early new year. There will also be an open house scheduled in the future for community members to voice their concerns and opinions and ask questions to City of Kimberley Manager of Planning Services, Troy Pollock.
Mayor Don McCormick says that an example of the type of industry that could potentially call the bench lands home is Sullivan Machine Works, a clean energy company who could bring jobs and new tax money to the community.
The motion council voted on reads:
WHEREAS new revenue is a strategic priority of City Council;
AND WHEREAS industrial taxes are needed to take the upward pressure off the residential and business tax bases as infrastructure renewal and demand for City services grows;
AND WHEREAS Kimberley’s growing population needs jobs to attract and retain them here;
AND WHEREAS appropriately zoned land is needed to attract businesses who will provide the new tax money and jobs;
AND WHEREAS the City of Kimberley has an abundance of recreational and residential lands;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City-owned property known as the Marysville bench lands be designated for Industrial development in the draft OCP to be consistent with its current Industrial zoning.
More to come.