Smithers Council Briefs for the Regular Meeting Jan. 26, 2021
Rezoning of the airport
In a report to council, Town staff recommended rezoning the airport area to permit shipping containers (Sea-Cans, or C-Cans) and mini-storage units in the Airport Industrial Park.
In deliberations on the subject staff felt this will provide not only monthly income to the airport, but permit possible expansion and interested investors to establish self-operated storage facilities close to the airport.
Part of the discussion centered around the fact that the airport development is not part of the Official Community Plan (OCP), as it is within town limits, and does not have to follow the alpine theme that the local businesses have to follow.
Councillor Thomas thought perhaps it should be included in the future OCP to have a more “pleasing look” than coming into the community on the highway and having a “bunch of C-Cans” being a first impression into Smithers.
Council decided public input would give them a better sense of how the community feels about it.
Council passed first and second reading of Bylaw No. 1904 - Town of Smithers Zoning Bylaw No. 1403 making way for a public hearing to decide the matter.
Letter of Support for the Dze L K’ant Friendship Society
Council voted unanimously to send a letter to the Ministry of Advanced Education in support of Dze L K’ant’s application for Indigenous skills training and education projects through the province’s economic recovery fund.
The scope of the program is to train local students in the Health Care Assistant program at Coast Mountain College. Dze L K’ant and council hopes by training local youth at home, it will help alleviate the nursing shortage in the North.
