The Village of Pemberton pushed through a series of recommendations at its June 3 meeting, among them endorsing a provincial climate action agreement, as well as paving the way for a new mixed-use development in the downtown area.
With three of five council members present, including the mayor, there was very little debate on numerous motions, including a recommendation that the VOP sign on to the British Columbia Climate Action Charter, which binds its signatories to recognizing that climate change is occurring and to take action to reduce green house gas emissions.
The motion passed without any debate and has committed Pemberton to a number of plans, including exploring the feasibility of alternative energy projects. It also commits the village to developing the Pemberton Trails Plan, which aims to provide bikes, pedestrians and horses a network of trails that connect the village with outlying areas, according to the VOP meeting agenda.
Other projects that Pemberton expects to carry out in recognition of this agreement are to advocate for “green building” designs on community facilities, paying particular attention to low flow water-saving devices, as well as low E windows, which function to trap heat in the winter and keep buildings cool in the summer.
The VOP also approved a recommendation that it enter into a lease with the Pemberton Flying Club that would set aside an area of land at its airport for non-commercial aviation, as well as visiting aircraft parking and private, non-commercial hangars.
Council approved entering into the lease, a motion that now requires VOP staff to prepare a lease with conditions including that the lease last for no more than 25 years; that all costs related to land transfer and improvements be handled by the Pemberton Flying Club; and that the lease be for a nominal rent payment beginning at $1 per year.
The leased area will be 80 by 120m and consistent with the village’s Airport Land Use Plan, according to a report to council.
Council was also informed of plans to develop a four-storey, mixed-use development to be located at the 7400 block of Frontier Street between Birch Street and Camus Street.
Dubbed Frontier Plaza, the development is a project by Pemberton Frontier Developments Ltd. that aims to knock down residential homes on the current property and replace them with a building that expects to have 40 residential units and approximately 8,743 square feet of commercial space on its ground floor.
The building has been designed with a flat roof to minimize snow fall and expects to be built according to the sustainable standards set out in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system, though it does not specify which standard it will be built to. The LEED system assigns four levels of certification based on a building’s attention to using environmentally-friendly products: certified, silver, gold and platinum.
Some products and features used to reach LEED standards include low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, which have lower levels of chemicals, such as formaldehyde, than regular paints. Other features can include stormwater drainage systems, which re-route rainwater to reduce waste.
The plan for Frontier Plaza has shown an intention to use geothermal heating and air conditioning but does not specify other features that will be used to conform to sustainable building standards.
