The owner of a development on College Road in Qualicum Beach agrees with the town’s garbage, composting and recycling policy.
But Paul Jahn doesn’t agree with town council’s decision to get the current garbage collection site at his building relocated to a central location before a development permit application can be approved. That’s the message Jahn passed on to Coun.Teunis Westbroek and director of planning Luke Sales, who walked through the property with Jahn on Wednesday morning, May 12.
“The current garbage facility pickup was structured a certain way on this property and we want to kind of keep that,” said Jahn.
The garbage collection site is situated inside the parkade. Jahn said it has worked well with residents who take their garbage and recyclables with them as they drive out and drop them off at the facility located near the gate. It is also easy for the garbage collection truck to access the garbage bins and recyclables and drive out.
Westbroek, at a council meeting on April 28, made a motion to get the developer to move the garbage facility to a location that will make it easier for residents.
READ MORE: Qualicum College project zoning adopted, with a caveat
Westbroek has been advocating for multi-family units to get on board with the Regional District of Nanaimo’s solid waste policy of diverting garbage, food waste and recyclables from the landfill. Individual homes currently participate in the RDN’s curbside recycling and green bin food waste program but there’s nothing set up for multi-family homes.
Westbroek wants the town to start imposing this solid waste policy on new developments. Jahn indicated he has no problems with that.
“The whole recycling, I’m on board with that and I think most of these people in this building are on board with it and they’re doing it,” said Jahn. “In every condo building they’re doing the same thing whether they’re recycling or not. The location is not part of the equation of do you recycle.”
Jahn has also agreed to conform with council’s recommendation to scale back the density from the proposed total of 62 units to 49 units, which includes the 16 units that have already been built. But he didn’t agree with the way council did it.
“It’s been reduced, reduced, reduced and I understand the community’s concern. I get that,” said Jahn. “But at third reading when you give a density and at fourth reading you retract, that is showing other developers that this is not a pro-development community.”
Jahn has been working on this project for four years. He wants to see construction to start soon. He already got his zoning amendment approved but is still waiting for the development permit.
“I don’t want to see this property stand the way it is for another 10 years,” said Jahn. “I want to move forward and build something beautiful and encourage 33 families to move into the neighbourhood, to participate in the neighbourhood and to finance part of this community.”
Jahn has already sold his house in Vancouver and plans to move to Qualicum Beach with his family in one of the units of his development.
“This is a special piece of property and I’ve fallen in love with Qualicum,” said Jahn. “I am family-oriented. This is a family-business. And I want to encourage 33 more families just like myself to input into the community, they’re going to spend their money in this community, to come in and live in this new development. And this is, in my opinion the premium spot in Qualicum. It really is.”