A new gas station plus a market and liquor store have been approved for Tobiano.
The new development at Holloway Drive and Colebrook Road will also have between eight and 10 short-term rental cottages.
Property rep Paul Fenske spoke about the plans to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.
“Relying simply on the current Tobiano demand may not be sufficient to support such a crossing. But given its location on the highway, there’s an opportunity to draw both visitor traffic as well as resident traffic to this site, without having to pull traffic through the community,” he says.
“There’s also the opportunity to help Tobiano grow up from a car-centric community into a more complete, and sustaining community, that allows people to move through the community to golf, to waterfront, to community destinations, and not necessarily be tied to their car.”
Fenske says the gas station would model the Chevron in Whistler, as a gas station in a resort community.
The zoning for “resort accommodation” also allows for a hotel to be built on the Holloway Drive property, although Fenske acknowledged that may not ever come to fruition.
At a public hearing on Thursday, local resident Vickie Weller has concerns about the new development.
Weller spoke for herself and two other Tobiano residents during a public hearing. She disputed the claim that this will make the community less car-centric, based in part on elevation changes through the community.
“No one’s going to go from the marina and drive up back and forth. If they’re at the marina, they can get everything they need. There’s no reason. The nice village where it was planned was wonderful. And every resident who up until now has chosen to live there is getting duped. And I don’t appreciate that.”
Weller also disagreed with the statement that the project in on the highway.
“It’s not. As soon as you turn off, you’ve got to get into the left-hand lane right away. It’ll be congested, it’ll look bad. I don’t care how much pine you put in there, it’s a gas station. It’s in the wrong place.”
Local area director Ronaye Elliott says former plans for a lakeside village square were under old ownership, and she says this new commercial centre will be a more viable project. She adds the proposal has been largely supported by residents, based on an information session held last month and other feedback.
The project needed approval from the regional district to allow rezoning for the gas station portion of the project.
The TNRD board approved third reading of the rezoning by a 23-3 vote. Directors Jan Polderman, Merlin Blackwell and Sally Watson were opposed.
(Photo: TNRD)
