RELEASE: District of Squamish reverses plan to downzone Paradise Trails property
July 17, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SQUAMISH, BC – Local residents and the proponent of Paradise Trails in Paradise Valley are breathing sighs of relief after learning that a plan by District of Squamish planners to stop and down zone the previously approved project has been postponed pending further study.
District of Squamish Council voted unanimously to give final approval to Paradise Trails in 2012 after extensive technical studies and community consultation.
Recently, some Paradise Valley residents, who did not want to be named, wrote to planners asking that local residents be given time to study the impact of stopping the project on the community before the matter proceeded to council.
“We, as developers, are rightly required to consult the community before our projects are approved. Why should District staff not be required to do the same?” said Michael Goodman, president of Tri-City Group, the project proponent.
Paradise Trails is an equestrian-themed, rural residential eco-village that will provide 82 family-size homes with secondary suites approved for rental on lots that range in size from 0.25 to 2 acres. The new community will be built on a 160-acre parcel of vacant land, previously cleared for a golf course, at the end of Paradise Valley Road.
“Now, just as construction was about to begin, we were told that the planners wanted the Council to change the zoning of the property, which was already approved by two previous councils, so that no homes can be built. What sort of signal does this send to people who want to build here? People in Squamish deserve more diverse housing options, especially for families, and this uncertainty from the District is not helping.” said Goodman.
A housing study completed last year by CitySpaces Consulting for the District of Squamish found that Squamish is one of the fastest-growing communities in BC, with an annual growth rate close to three times the provincial average. The report predicts that Squamish will need 6,840 new homes by 2031 and that “43% will need to accommodate families with three or more bedrooms.”
“The support we got from local residents, the Squamish First Nation, and the horse community when the project was first proposed stemmed from the benefits we agreed to provide to the community at no cost to the taxpayers. We also offered to build a fire hall for the local volunteer fire department,” said Goodman.
In addition to creating an eco-village with climate-resilient housing, Paradise Trails at Squamish has committed to building a 10-acre equestrian facility with indoor riding ring that will be open to the public, 8 kms of public trails, an engineered road 600 meters south of the property and another 1500 meters through the property, as well as upgrading a local bridge.
For long-time Paradise Valley resident Peter Spitzer, better fire protection and road upgrades are key concerns: “Currently our fire protection is based on hard-working individuals and retirees who volunteer their time without outside resources to make sure our small community is safe. We can no longer rely on the Squamish fire department, whose response time is around 40 minutes. The fire hall, training and equipment that Paradise Trails is offering would be invaluable to our community," he said.
He also hopes the development will bring improvement to Paradise Valley Road.
“The dust is unbearable in the summer and it is an ice rink in the winter. It is a health hazard. The rough state of the gravel road also decreases emergency response time,” said Spitzer.