The Village of Cumberland hosted its semi-monthly council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Here are a few meeting highlights.
Trilogy meeting cancelled
Council approved cancelling the Feb. 15 committee of the whole meeting devoted to reviewing the initial Trilogy’s CAYET subdivision documents. According to the Village’s chief administrative officer Sundance Topham, the developer was unable to provide the required documents in time.
No new date will be proposed for the committee of the whole meeting until the Village receives the necessary documents.
“I’m not sure when that will be. There’s potential to have something by March 12, but I’m not too sure,” said Topham.
The committee of the whole meeting was meant to be devoted entirely to discussing the CAYET project and fielding a question/answer period from residents.
CAYET is a proposed large-scale, mixed-use development that will straddle parts of the Inland Island Highway and the Comox Valley Parkway. First proposed in 2006, the 760-acre project is still in the preliminary stages.
Read More: CAYET still a ways off
Cumberland United Church protection
Discussion among council continued surrounding how to best protect the recently-closed Cumberland United Church building.
The BC Conference of the United Church of Canada listed the property for sale in January. At the Jan. 8 council meeting, a group of residents requested that council consider a heritage designation for the building, citing its historical value and importance.
Read More: Volunteer group seeks heritage designation for church building
On Tuesday, senior planner Judith Walker presented a report on what an official heritage designation would mean for the building and what alternative options are available. Specifically, she mentioned the possibility of listing the building on the Cumberland Community Heritage Register.
Walker’s report outlined that a heritage designation in B.C. means protecting a property through a municipal bylaw, though consent of the owner is required. Once protected, the owner would have to obtain a Heritage Alteration Permit to make any kind of alterations to the property.
Adversely, being listed on the community heritage register would allow the Village to undertake certain protective measures — such as temporarily delaying demolition permits and development approvals — without the property owner’s consent.
The building does not currently have any official heritage status, according to Walker, though it is listed on the Cumberland heritage inventory list.
The Cumberland United Church operated in the village for more than 120 years. The church was established in 1888 when Cumberland was still known as Union Mines. Its last service was held in Nov. 26, 2017.
Read More: Cumberland United Church closing its doors
Council eventually approved directing staff to develop a statement of significance for the building, as well as referring the issue to the Village’s Heritage Commission, whose next meeting takes place on March 5.
Financial recommendations approved
Council approved 21 financial recommendations from the Village’s Feb. 1 committee of the whole budget meeting that will now go to a public village hall for a more thorough presentation on Feb. 19. The financial recommendations will eventually help make up the Village’s 2018–22 financial plan.
To see the list of 21 recommendations, visit bit.ly/2o05zkK