Last week, The Undercurrent checked-in with Mayor Murray Skeels the big changes he sees on the horizon for Bowen Island in 2018. Here’s his list:
The new fire hall
In August, 2017, Bowen Islanders voted to allow the municipality to borrow up to $3 million, repayable over 30 years, to build a new fire hall. Skeels says that although the construction management team for the building is still up in the air, the plan is to get started right away with the clearing of the chosen site, “before bird-nesting season gets in the way.”
The water treatment plant
In 2016, Vancouver Coastal Health informed Bowen Island that the Cove Bay Water System (which serves roughly half of all homes here) was inadequate to address protozoan contamination and expansion of the system would be put on hold until plans for a new system were put in place. In March of 2017, the Provincial and Federal governments awarded Bowen close to $4 million towards the construction of that new system. Primex Investments offered to donate a site for the plant, on part of what is known as the Grafton Lake Lands. A pilot ceramic filter-style system was run in the fall because fallen leaves tend to make September and October the most challenging in terms of water colouration – but the new system worked well. Plans for the plant have stalled, however, because the Agricultural Land Commission has rejected requests to take that chunk of land out of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). Figuring out whether the new treatment plant will be allowed on the chosen site, or whether municipal lands between Artisan Square and the Bowen Children’s Centre will be needed is the next job before the water treatment plant project can move forward.
The construction of affordable housing in co-operation with BC Housing
The Mayor says “this is a big one, up in the air. BC Housing is telling us they are good to go with a 20 unit apartment rental, that we are at the top of their list.” To make it happen, a million dollar subsidy is required. The Provincial budget comes down in February, the Federal budget will be in March – if both levels of government agree to kick-in $500k to the project, than Bowen Island is likely to see these plans become a reality on Lot 2, down Senior’s Lane near Bowen Court.
The sale of Lot 2, on Bowen Island Trunk Rd.
This chunk of municipal land is on the market again after a recent accepted offer that was pulled in December after the developer was quoted construction costs that would make the project planned on that lot unfeasible. “They got a second quote, and that didn’t help matters,” says Mayor Skeels. “Combined with fears that recent mortgage changes may bring down the price of condominiums in Vancouver, the offer was pulled. We really hope that this piece of land sells in 2018.”
An election
In the fall, Bowen Islanders will go to the polls after four years with the current Mayor and group of six councillors. Will Mayor Skeels step-up and run again?
“That’s really not a question I can answer right now,” he says.
