Telkwa council has taken another step toward increasing housing options in the village.
At its March 9 regular meeting, council passed first and second readings of two bylaws to rezone a property on Alder Street to make way for a mobile home park for single-wide and double-wide manufactured homes.
The property, which is currently home to a warehouse/shop for the West Fraser Concrete plant is not zoned for residential use, but with the proposed closure of the plant, owners Hendrick and Joanna Meerdink want to repurpose the land.
The couple applied to change the zoning from the Creative Trade and Business Zone (I2) to Mobile Home Residential Zone (R8). That also requires a change of land-use designation in the Telkwa Official Community Plan and Integrated Community Sustainability Plan from Service Commercial to Residential.
Coun. Derek Meerdink recused himself from the debate on the issue because the proponents are his parents.
Coun. Leroy Dekens was interested in what the tax and services implications would be for the park. Director of Operations Lev Hartfeil explained that those kind of details would have to be worked out if and when a development proposal was brought forward.
In the meantime, he said, passing first and second reading was a matter of council deciding if they were in favour of supporting the porposal in principle so it could go to a public hearing.
Coun. Morgan argued the village is in desperate need of more affordable housing and council should definitely support the idea in principle.
First and second readings passed unanimously.