City council voted for more time for community consultation on an emergency shelter proposed for the former Elks Hall in downtown Williams Lake.
BC Housing made a presentation to Williams Lake city council at their regular meeting on Tuesday, March 12, seeking support for an application to the province for statutory immunity for 98 First Ave. South.
Nearby property owners were notified late last week of the BC Housing proposal, giving them little time to read the 30-plus page report produced by city staff recommending the city support the proposed shelter.
The agenda item took up more than two hours at the meeting, as BC Housing presented, councillors spoke at length on the topic, and community members gave input. Emotional appeals came from both sides for and against the shelter, though the majority of community members speaking were against the location. Councillors on both sides received applause from the audience. Nearly 50 people attended the meeting.
Council will now accept feedback from the community in writing submitted by the end of day Sunday, March 24.
After the two hours and the vote, Mayor Surinderpal Rathor appealed to the community members to not just flood them with letters for or against.
“If you would tell us some solutions, that would be much more appreciated,” said Rathor.
If the shelter were to go ahead, it would replace the emergency shelter at the Hamilton Inn started in 2020.
BC Housing’s Tyler Baker, director regional development – Interior, and Cheryl Roepcke, manager regional operations – Interior both presented the proposal for the shelter, which they hope could better serve people facing homelessness.
“I think there’s an urgent issue in Williams Lake that we had hoped to address tonight, and I’m always for hearing people’s opinions and suggestions, but I think we have a good solution on the table and I would have really liked to see that move forward tonight,” Baker told Black Press Media after the vote.
In a report to council included in the agenda package, manager of economic development Beth Veenkamp noted city staff have been working with BC Housing on the proposal.
“There are limited options in Williams Lake, and this location has been identified as suitable for a short-term solution while there is continued work towards improving supportive housing options in Williams Lake,” Veenkamp noted in the report. BC Housing said the plan was to lease the site for five years while they look for a more permanent solution.
That location is presently zoned as C-1 town centre commercial.
Veenkamp said the benefit to council for undertaking a re-zoning process would be the formal public hearing process, however, the longer-term prospect of having “traditional shelter” as a permanent permitted use on that property is not recommended by staff.
She explained in the report that statutory immunity allows the use to operate and continue under the provincial agency, but with no change to the zoning, which otherwise would not permit use as a shelter.
This means that once the operation leaves that building the permission to operate goes with it. This option also limits liability risks for the city.
“If council wishes to support the development of shelter space in the community, the statutory immunity route is recommended. However, council will need to determine whether the proposal from BC Housing to seek statutory immunity for the proposed shelter should be supported,” Veenkamp noted.
Staff has also drafted a good neighbour bylaw for the emergency shelter, should it be approved. Those critical of the proposal at the meeting said the wording of the good neighbour bylaw is too weak.
The Elks Hall was sold in 2021 to a local construction contractor.
READ MORE: Elks Hall sold, closing in Williams Lake
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