Dear Editor,
Re: “Onni hopes fest will garner public support,” News, Feb. 17.
Further to the “Mexican standoff” between the city and Onni over rezoning of the Imperial Landing buildings, a solution requires the city to finally decide whether to install a marina on the city-owned water lots opposite Building 5.
Without a marina, there is little prospect of maritime enterprises locating at Imperial Landing.
A marina would require Building 5 for marine services and would attract tenants such as Steveston Marine and Hardware.
Onni wants to have a fitness centre in Building 5, which requires a very expensive installation that, once completed, could not easily be moved.
City council should fast-track a marina study on the understanding that if a marina is not approved within the next year, Building 5 could be rezoned.
In the meantime, Building 5 use should continue to be restricted to “Mixed Maritime” with an added permitted use to allow market stalls for craftspeople, artists and farmer’s market activities at low lease rates.
Onni’s proposed fitness centre could instead be installed in Building 2 where Onni wants to have a grocery that, as Coun. Harold Steves stated, would be much better located in the new Rod’s Building Supplies development, where there will be a lot more parking at grade level.
Building 2 would also have sufficient additional space for minor medical services such as physiotherapy and sports medicine.
Certainly, given the history, the largest possible rezoning compensation payment should be extracted from Onni for Steveston community use.
Expansion of the Steveston Community Centre to accommodate a larger library and a roof for the pool are priorities.
Time to settle with Onni and make those projects a reality.
John Roston
Steveston
