The Comfor Management Services Ltd. (CMSL) board of directors conditionally approved a recent request to lease a portion of the Endako River Timber Ltd. property to the Burns Lake Volunteer Fire Fighters Association.
The decision was made during an in camera meeting last week and details were subsequently released.
As reported in the Lakes District News edition of Aug. 31, 2011, the association is hoping to construct a training facility in Burns Lake and requested that block B of the disused Endako River Timber Ltd. site on Babine Lake Rd. be leased to them for training purposes.
The association plans to construct a building on the site for live burns and would bring in fire departments from other areas such as Vanderhoof, Smithers and Houston to use the site for training exercises.
The association suggested a lease of up to 99 years on the property, for one dollar per year and would also be willing to pay the approximate $266 in annual property taxes.
Michael Riis-Christianson CMSL executive assistant said, "This is a 9.98 acre parcel. A portion of this land was formerly used as a log storage area by Endako River Timber Ltd.’s sawmill, though most of it remains undeveloped."
Two parcels of land make up the entire property with the larger parcel being 129.92 acres in size. In August, Riis-Christianson said the board do have a long term plan to sell the Endako River Timber Ltd. site but added that the board has deferred selling the property until it is determined whether this land is surplus to the company’s needs.
"We have not yet obtained an appraised value on the land formerly owned by Endako River Timber Ltd., however, the value placed on block B by the B.C. Assessment Authority for taxation purposes is $33,200.
"The combined assessed value of the two parcels is $112,000."
Block B was originally purchased for $58,500 in 2005. The larger block was purchased for $104,000 at the same time.
CMSL president Quentin Beach said to Lakes District News that the association's request has been approved, but with conditions.
He said a motion had been passed during CMSL's in camera meeting that approved the lease of the property pending a successful site rezoning.
"If the association elects to pursue this project, the costs of rezoning the property to accommodate a training facility must be borne by the association."
He said that the terms of the lease will be negotiated pending a successful rezoning of the property.
The CMSL board has also recommended that the firefighters association discuss the proposal in detail with local residents.
Beach said the board has only agreed to lease the property pending successful rezoning. "At this time, the firefighters’ association has not yet advised us as to whether it is prepared to accept this condition and intends to proceed with rezoning. For this reason, any discussion of lease terms would be premature. The board has discussed the possibility of selling this property in the past and may still elect to do so in the future."
The Endako River Timber Ltd. property falls under the jurisdiction of the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako (RDBN).
According to Jason Llewellyn director of planning for the RDBN, the property is currently zoned H2 large holdings. "A fire fighters training facility would fit within the P1 civic/institutional zone," he said.
The application fee to rezone the property is $700, however Llewellyn said that upon request by an applicant, the RDBN board may waive or reduce the fee.
The rezoning process requires the association to submit a detailed application to the RDBN. The application is then sent to agencies such as the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Environment, the Agricultural Land Commission and the Northern Health Authority. These agencies are asked to provide comment within 21 days.
Following this, RDBN staff review the information and prepare a report. The RDBN board then consider first and second readings of the bylaw for approval. A public hearing process follows, then a third reading by the RDBN board and consideration of approval.
"At this time we do not have a rezoning application for that property," Llewellyn added.