Whistlerites will get a chance to check out the work of the Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) firsthand at a community forum on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
The event is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. in the Grand Foyer of the Whistler Conference Centre.
The evening will showcase the research collected over the past year on Whistler's highway, roads, parking and transit; proposed short-, medium- and long-term actions to ease traffic and parking woes; as well as multiple opportunities to provide input.
"I encourage everyone from across the community to come out and be part of the open conversation about our transportation challenges and opportunities," Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden said in a release.
"This forum will allow you to learn about the latest research and planning, and share your thoughts on what is being proposed."
When doors open at 5 p.m., attendees will get a chance to view posters detailing research and plans and ask questions to members of the TAG and Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) staff.
A presentation giving an overview of work completed so far will start at 5:30 p.m., followed by discussion groups on specific areas related to TAG.
Attendees will be able to participate in and give feedback through two discussion groups, as well as through online and paper questionnaires, on poster boards or directly to staff members.
Activities for kids and refreshments will also be provided.
For more info, or to RSVP, head to www.whistler.ca/movingWhistler.
KADENWOOD OWNERS OPPOSE NEW GFA RULES
Property owners in the Kadenwood neighbourhood are not onboard with a proposed change to basement floor area exclusion bylaws.
The change would mean that only those portions of a basement that are below ground or in ground qualify for Gross Floor Area (GFA) exclusions.
The in-ground portion would have to be at least 50 per cent within the ground relative to the wall height and the ground on the adjoining wall to qualify for the exemption.
With the amendment, the RMOW hopes to rein in increasing size of new builds in Whistler.
Included in a Jan. 10 public hearing package was a letter from lawyer Alizee Bilbey, representing the 60 strata lots known as Kadenwood.
"The Kadenwood strata council is strongly opposed to this proposed amendment because of the effect it will have on owners of lots in the Kadenwood development," the letter reads.
The letter concludes by asking the RMOW to allow the existing rules to apply to any development on sloped land that causes more than 50 per cent of the exterior wall height of the lowest floor of the building being above the level of finished ground adjoining the wall, or, if council is to proceed with the amendment, to allow a six-month grace period for projects currently in the planning phase.
With opposition comments received, third reading of the bylaw will be delayed to a future meeting.
The RMOW first adopted its "illegal spaces bylaw" in 2012 as a means of legitimizing crawlspaces and other illegal spaces in the municipality.
The bylaw allowed the exclusion of basement floor areas and exterior walls that are thicker than six inches from the calculation of GFA for detached and duplex dwellings.
The exclusions were intended to address issues around the use of crawl spaces in some homes that did not conform to zoning regulations.
VISITS TO WASTE DEPOTS UP OVER THE HOLIDAYS
The lines to get rid of that Christmas trash and recycling were long at both of Whistler's depots.
The RMOW said depot operator Carney's Waste Systems reported high traffic volumes from Dec. 25 to Jan. 2. In that period, garbage drop-off at the Function Junction depot was up 50 per cent over last year while at the Nesters depot, it was up 20 per cent.
-Dan Falloon
