March 2026
The Benchlands project application took an important step forward last week, with the unanimous approval of first reading by Powell River Council. After good discussion at the March 19 meeting with questions to the City’s planning staff and developer’s representative, all councillors agreed to move proposed zoning changes onto the next step.
Watch the meeting or review the agenda here.
Changes to zoning and Official Community Plans require four readings and a public hearing – so first reading is an important step, but still an early one. The City has requested some key tasks/deliverables from the Benchlands team before second reading is considered, including: a comprehensive outline of required infrastructure improvements to support the proposed development, an analysis of the cost to service the new growth, and detailed plans on how the project will achieve target density and maximize use of the BC Hydro right-of-way.
The Benchlands team is already starting work on these items and looks forward to providing the key information that addresses questions and provides more confidence in the benefits of the proposed project.
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