BCR Properties subdivided Subdivision of BCR Properties’ 530-plus acre parcel on the west side of Alta Lake has gone through but the Crown corporation is still hoping to convince Whistler council to rezone the property. "It’s a question of whether we can agree on something better," said Mayor Hugh O’Reilly. "We’ve looked at it, we’ve got dialogue going back and forth. I just don’t know how big a hurry they’re in," O’Reilly said. "If they’re in a big hurry they may get frustrated." Jim Cox, president of BCR Properties, said the subdivision went through in early March but BCR Properties won’t move forward until council reviews the alternate plans the Crown corporation has put forward. The subdivision turns the RR1-zoned parcel of land into 24 20-acre lots, along with five smaller lots down near the water in Chaplinville which have previous zoning. What BCR Properties has proposed is for the municipality to rezone most of the property, which extends up the side of Sproatt Mountain, to create 29 single family lots on suitable portions of the land and turn over the remainder of the land to the municipality. Technically the rezoning application would require the municipality to "create" new bed units — beyond Whistler’s self-imposed development cap — to give to BCR Properties, even though rezoning wouldn’t result in any more houses than subdivision. BCR Properties’ subdivision application was submitted nearly two years ago, just before the municipality increased the minimum size of subdivided parcels from 20 acres to 100 acres. Cox said BCR Properties has accepted a subject offer for purchase of the land, but the sale is on hold pending council’s decision on the rezoning application. O’Reilly said council and municipal staff are reviewing the rezoning application "to see if we can make it better." The property is not serviced by sewer or water, and to do so would cost a developer millions of dollars. In addition to the Hydro lines passing through the BCR Properties land a right of way for the proposed highway bypass crosses the parcel.
