West Quesnel Residents To Get Their Say On Controversial Housing Project

A public hearing on what is being called a supportive housing facility on Elliott Street is being held in Quesnel City Council Chambers tonight.

It starts at 6 o’clock and is focused on the potential rezoning of the land on which this new facility would go as well as changing the Official Community Plan.

While many are calling this an attempt to move the homeless shelter to West Quesnel, Mayor Bob Simpson insists that this is not the relocation of Seasons House as it will not offer a variety of services to the general public or that general vulnerable population…

“The current Seasons House offers a wide array of services to the general public and to that general vulnerable population. Some mental health and addiction services, methadone clinics, some harm reduction/HIV aides. We have been very clear with BC Housing and with the Quesnel, Shelter and Support Society that we believe that that drop-in service should not be in this new transition housing complex.”

Simpson says they want to hear concerns from residents, from the service providers, the business community and the School District which he says will be making a presentation…

“You know is that the right location, they can speak to that, what kind of services should we be doing in there and so on, so its a wide opening conversation. It’s how development permit processes go. We’re not the proponent as the city, we are the land manager and the land regulator so we are hearing from the public as to whether the public thinks that is the best use of that land and the best location for this particular need in our community.”

So far Council has just given first reading to the potential re-zoning.

Simpson says second and third reading will go to Council on Tuesday night…

“Council can chose to vote straight up and down on that second and third reading or they can chose to stand it down if they feel that we still need some more public engagement so we’ve got some options . It will be on the agenda but we options to deal with it in different ways, depending on what we hear from the public.”