“TERRACE STANDARD |

‘BUSINESS JIREVIEW

Wal-Mart approval means
compromise for everyone

WAL-MART is committing to spend
$750,000 on work upgrading the
stretch of Highway 16 in front of its
planned store beside the river.

* Phere will bea median in- the
middle of that part of the highway,
as. well as a new set of traffic lights,

city planner David Trawin said.
He laid out the requirements. that
“the retailer will have to meet as part

of a development permit that now:

has tentative. approval from city
council.

First Pro Shopping Centres has
indicated it hopes to begin construc-
tion soon to open the 105,000 square
foot big box store by December. —

The development firm put toge-
ther the land deal this spring, pur-
chasing the old River Industries land
just southwest of the new bridge as
well as the city’s animal shelter and
adjacent parkland.

The conditions on the store deve-
lopment are generally getting
thumbs up from the closest neigh-
bours to the south.

; They say the promises Trawin has
. secured go a long ways to address
_their initial fears that they would be
left-facing a massive wall.
“David Trawin bridged between
_council’s decision, the needs of the
developer and our needs,” said resi-
. dent Melissa Munn.
Trawin negotiated a tree preser-
vation area around the rear of the

follow through f

property as well as a series of land-
scaping measures there.

He said the building is also now
sunk eight feet lower into the ground
than: initially proposed and: shifted
further from neighbours.

“They have pretty well covered
most of my concerns,” said Laura
Biagioni, who lives closest to the
store. site.

She said §
they hope the
developer will

on requirements §
to plant fast-
growing trees to
hide the view of
the store.

Biagioni
says neighbours
would have pre-
ferred to keep
the parkland to the north, adding its
loss devalues their homes.

They also say council's man-
oeuvre to rezone the park for deve-
lopment — against the Official Com-

David Trawin

munity Plan - means the same fate .

could await other city parks.’

Neighbours remain worried about
a vaguely defined utility. corridor
near the rear of the property, which
they fear could be denuded of more
trees than necessary.

Trawin said he shares that con-
cern, but plans to work closely with

the developer.

Plans also call for a 12-foot chain
link fence covered with fines along
the west property line, screening the
store from the baseball diamond and
homes beyond.

The front facade of the building is
to be staggered and finished half in
brick to break up its appearance.

Trawin said he has insisted upon
increased landscaping in other areas,
as well as fewer parking stalls in the
main lot than the company proposed
to accommodate more trees and
landscaping.

Some. of the requirements are

velopment is designated the city’s
“east gateway” in the Official Com-
munity Plan.

Trawin said it’s been tricky ba-

lancing Wal-Mart’s goals and the

city’s desire to hide the store. -
“They're very keen on havinng
the building visible from the road,”
he added. :
Trawin said all sides have com-

promised, adding he’s not entirely”

pleased with how the building will
look to visitors entering town.

“I'm not going to lie lo you,” he
told councillors. “You're going to be
able to see it from the highway.”

Trawin said the developers must
also put up in excess of $70,000 as
security to ensure the landscaping
promised actually gets done.

Northerners work together to draw tourists

TOURISM INDUSTRY

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - All

_KITIMAT. LANDSCAPING |

i
Kitimat Landscaping and Contracting Lid.
736 Enterprise Ave., Kitimat, B.C.

Phone: 632-7207 Toll Free:

1-888-632-7207

triggered because the proposed de-

Our mission is to

sustainable. heatin

encourage and |

support Aboriginal Be

Board of Directors
Call for Nominations

The Aboriginal Healing Foundation is now
accepting nominations to fila Director's = |)
position on its Board of Directors. oe

Directors are chosen through broad-based
canvassing of eligible and interested Aboriginal
candidates from among representative groups,
residential school survivors, organizations and
communities. Directors establish overall policies
and direction for the Foundation’s programs and
serve for a two-year term: Meetings are held.
approximately 4 times per year and last 1 two to
three days.

Anyone may nominate. a ‘Director.

To.find out more about the nomination: ‘process
and the Director's eligibility requirements,
please contact:

Higgins International, Inc.

operators north of here
have re-affirmed the need
for more joint planning and
imagination in developing
new products and pack-
ages for the upcoming ba-
by-boomer population.
The Stewart-Cassiar
Tourism Council heard
‘ that message at their sec-
ond annual general meet-
ing held May 3 in Stewart.

“Tourism is the biggest
business in the world, In-
vestment in developing
new ways of attracting
tourists and travellers will
be crucial to ensure that
tourism becomes a viable
and consistent economic
opportunity for our. corner
of the province,” said
Steve O'Neill, who was re-
elected secretary-treasurer
of the council.

He joins re-elected pre-
sident Dan Pakula from
Telegraph Creek and vice
president Kathy Tschakert
from Hyder.

Over the past two years,
the council has produced
and circulated more than
40,000 brochures, deve-
loped and maintained a
well-visited web site, de-
signed and circulated 300
posters, designed and pub-

‘ along the Hwy 37 corridor. ~

lished a popular map of
the highway. It also has a
1-800 line, a web site at
www stew artcassiar.com,
and has built up a mem-
bership of 31 businesses

Directors elected. were
Jacquie Cunningham from
Iskut, Dave Zevick from
Dease Lake, Anne Jeffer-
‘son from Stewart. and Jim
Bourquin from Iskut.

ala sain

or visit the Aboriginal Healing. Fourdat
Web site at: www.ahf.ca a

15 Zachary Drive
St. Andrews, Manitoba R1A: 388°

Tel.: (204) 257-9929
Fax: (204) 257-9707

‘Deadline for nominations: June 30, 2003

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