By Lexi McFarlane, Times Chronicle
A Temporary Use Permit for a parcel of land on the Oliver Municipal Airport site has been approved by Council and is now in effect.
The proposal was brought forth during the Regular Council meeting on August 5. It would see metal storage containers be placed on the parcel of land to support Transwest Helicopters’ expansion of operations, and provide the interim storage space necessary. The parcel of land, with the address 5863 Airport Street, is on the northern end of the airport.
The ultimate goal of Transwest is to build a permanent hangar on property they lease. The TUP would enable the forthcoming operations expansion, with a three-year agreement plus the option to extend the TUP for an additional three-year period. Both are the maximum allowable under the provincial Local Government Act, which gives Council the authority to issue TUP’s.
The parcel of land in focus for the TUP is located right next to current Transwest facilities and would not require the implementation of additional driveways. A pair of nearby businesses were consulted as part of the TUP evaluation process, the report notes, with neither objecting although a couple of residents across the street raised concerns over potential visual and noise aspects.
Under the proposal put forth by Transwest, the metal containers would be placed next to each other in a linear setup along the north edge of the land in focus. That side of the property is the one directly bordering the current Transwest facilities. If additional expansion is required, more shipping containers would be set up along the southern edge of the land in focus.
The full review of the TUP application, done by Town staff, concluded that the application satisfied all of the requirements for a TUP. In addition to the proposal being clearly transitional, and the use being beneficial to aviation activities, the proposal makes the most logistical sense. No other location in the surrounding community would be feasible, it was noted, and the impact on the community will be minimal.
The containers are proposed to aid Transwest in their task of overhauling their fleet, by storing the necessary components required. As part of the TUP, Transwest has promised to keep the site well-maintained.
Councillor Petra Veintimilla, in making the motion to approve the TUP, noted how vital Transwest is to the community, and how significant their expansion will be for Oliver.
“Transwest, to the best of my knowledge, have been great tenants at the airport,” she said. “They’re a big employer in the community, and are doing some pretty creative and interesting things. I think the fact that they’re looking to expand in Oliver bodes well for the community.
“I’m happy to have that opportunity (to grant them the TUP).”
Councillor Terry Schafer concurred with Councillor Veintimilla.
“I second (the motion) and echo the comments of Councillor Veintimilla,” he said.
The motion was passed with a unanimous vote. The TUP took effect the next day, August 6, and will be effective until August 6, 2028, when the decision on whether or not to extend will be addressed.
