Unofficial summary · Not affiliated with the District of Squamish · 11-minute read · View in browser

Meeting: Regular Business Meeting, Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Length: 3 hours 40 minutes (6:03 to 9:43 p.m., according to the minutes)
Watch: Full video on YouTube · Agenda and reports: District of Squamish Council portal

This is a catch-up issue on a September meeting. Where later meetings have moved an item forward, we say so under "Following up".

Key decisions

THREE READINGS · Hunter Place: office building becomes rental housing
Third reading for Bylaw 3230-2026 at 1100, 1120 and 1140 Hunter Place (item 7.B.i). It removes the planned office building from the 2022 rezoning and converts 10% of the floor area to rental housing: 18 affordable and 25 market rental homes. Employment space drops from 30% to 20% of the floor area, and light industrial, tourist accommodation and seniors care are added as allowed uses. Two changes since second reading: a sunset clause (if no building permit is issued within five years of adoption, the District may rezone to remove the added housing density) and at least 17 affordable units in the first phase. Before adoption, a flood hazard covenant must be registered and the 2022 traffic study updated.
Vote: carried, with Councillors Pettingill and Hamilton opposed. Moved by Councillor Stoner, seconded by Councillor French.

CARRIED · Short-term rental permit approved on appeal
The owners of 38631 High Creek Drive appealed the Director of Community Development's July 13 refusal of temporary use permit 89, to rent their secondary suite short-term. Staff refused it because the 30-permit program is at capacity and six of the street's 23 properties (26%) already have short-term rental licences, above the 20% clustering threshold. Staff recommended upholding the refusal; council instead approved the permit as requested, for three years.
Vote: carried, with Councillor Pettingill opposed. Moved by Councillor Hamilton, seconded by Councillor Greenlaw.

THREE READINGS · One non-market rental townhouse at 1940 Centennial Way
Housing Agreement Bylaw 3267 secures one two-bedroom-plus-den non-market rental townhouse in phase three of the development, to be transferred to an affordable housing provider (item 7.a.1). Council also authorized changes to the land development agreement so the parks, pathways and trails for each of the six sub-phases are finished before that sub-phase is occupied, instead of all before the first occupancy. Councillor Pettingill's addition changes the phase three clause of the land development agreement to say gas is not permitted; staff said the registered covenants already say so.
Vote: unanimous. Moved by Councillor Pettingill, seconded by Councillor Stoner.

ADOPTED · Five bylaws
Council adopted, without presentations, three temporary borrowing bylaws (Flood Protection Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 3161, moved by Councillor French and seconded by Mayor Hurford; No. 3163 for the Whittaker Slough pump station; No. 3167 for a fire truck), a zoning amendment for hotel height on Cleveland Avenue (No. 3223) and a zoning amendment for 38921 Queensway (No. 3092).
Votes: Cleveland Avenue carried, with Councillors Greenlaw and Hamilton opposed. Queensway carried; on the video, Councillors Pettingill and Greenlaw were opposed, though the minutes don't record any opposition. The others carried with no opposition recorded.

CARRIED · Townhomes on Cheekye parcel F
Council issued development permit 642 for the form and character of 180 townhomes on parcel F off Ross Road, with covenants for wildfire and flood hazards. No variances were requested and no public comments were received. Councillor Stoner declared a conflict of interest and left for this item.
Vote: carried, with Councillor Greenlaw opposed. Moved by Mayor Hurford, seconded by Councillor Hamilton.

CARRIED · Review of vehicle residency enforcement
After hearing from vehicle residents, council asked for a review of enforcement on this topic at an upcoming committee of the whole, including statistics on tickets issued. No timeline was set; the Mayor said it would not come back to this council.
Vote: unanimous. Moved by Councillor Pettingill, seconded by Councillor Greenlaw (according to the minutes).

SENT BACK · Wildfire resiliency letter referred to budget
A letter from a former mayor about carrying out the wildfire resiliency plan, including fuel reduction in Merrill Park, was referred to the 2027 budget process.
Moved by Councillor Pettingill, seconded by Councillor Stoner. No opposition recorded.

CARRIED · Canada Post community mailboxes letter referred to staff
Added to earlier correspondence on community mailboxes that staff are already following up with Canada Post.
Moved by Councillor Stoner, seconded by Councillor Hamilton. No opposition recorded.

DEFERRED · Letter from the health minister
To come back at the next regular business meeting, at Councillor Pettingill's request.
Vote: unanimous. Moved by Mayor Hurford, seconded by Councillor Pettingill.

CARRIED · Community Forest shareholder resolutions
The Mayor and Corporate Officer may sign the Squamish Community Forest Corporation's annual shareholder consent resolutions.
Vote: unanimous. Moved by Councillor French, seconded by Mayor Hurford.

CARRIED · Two proclamations
September 21–27 as Rail Safety Week (moved by Councillor Andersen, seconded by Councillor French) and October as Community Inclusion Month (moved by Mayor Hurford, seconded by Councillor Andersen).
Vote: unanimous on both.

RECEIVED · Squamish Insight Model update; July 14 minutes approved
Council received the June 2026 update on the land use model. Councillor Pettingill raised a question about the wording of a July 14 committee motion on a $2,000 annual council expense; the Mayor said that motion would come back for reconsideration at an upcoming meeting.

Recorded votes

Votes where members of council did not all agree. Unanimous votes are not listed.

• Hunter Place rezoning, third reading: carried. Opposed: Councillors Hamilton and Pettingill.
• Short-term rental permit 89 on appeal: carried. Opposed: Councillor Pettingill.
• Cleveland Avenue hotel height zoning, adoption: carried. Opposed: Councillors Greenlaw and Hamilton.
• 38921 Queensway zoning, adoption: carried. Opposed on the video: Councillors Greenlaw and Pettingill (the minutes don't record any opposition).
• Development permit 642, Cheekye parcel F: carried. Opposed: Councillor Greenlaw.

What was discussed

Hunter Place

• Staff said the change would put 15% of the residential floor area in affordable rental. Existing uses on the site could continue until development. Watch at 2:16:29
• Councillor Stoner said the sunset clause was a make-or-break condition for her and that the community needs rental housing now. Watch at 2:25:21
• Councillor Pettingill said employment space needs to keep pace with housing so Squamish does not become a bedroom community. Councillor Hamilton said the change does not align with the strategic plan objective to increase employment lands and steps back from a recent rezoning. Watch at 2:26:31
• Councillor Andersen said the District's economic analysis, now about 10 years old, has consistently pointed to a shortage of medium industrial land, not office space. Mayor Hurford said the added uses and sunset clause made the change supportable. Watch at 2:30:25

Short-term rental appeal

• Staff said a review of the short-term rental permit policy is scheduled for 2027. Until then, under council direction from March, existing operators whose permits expired have been issued new three-year permits, so some will pass six years in the program. Watch at 0:53:02
• Councillor Pettingill said this was not consistent with his understanding that permits would end after six years. Staff said they do not keep a wait list and were not aware of others in the same situation. Watch at 1:05:05
• The owner said they had applied each year since being refused for clustering and that renewals had kept spaces from opening up. Staff said neighbours within 100 metres were notified, and Councillor Hamilton noted the one letter received raised parking, not the permit. Watch at 1:11:21
• Councillors Hamilton, Greenlaw and Stoner and Mayor Hurford said the policy had not worked well in this case, and Councillor French cited neighbourhood support and the upcoming review. Councillor Stoner and the Mayor said staff's analysis matched the policy. Councillor Pettingill said housing is the priority and he did not want to add another short-term rental. Watch at 1:25:51

Centennial Way townhouse

• Councillor Pettingill asked whether the housing provider would have to pay for the unit. Staff said the land development agreement says "transferred", that earlier reports indicated a sale, and that the price is between the developer and the provider. Watch at 1:51:23
• Councillor Stoner asked why there is no lone-parent rent rate. Staff said that is usually set only when more than one unit is secured, and this agreement will be replaced by a non-profit operator agreement after the transfer. Watch at 2:01:06
• Councillor Stoner asked about the timing of the park sub-phases. Staff said only the first sub-phase has a timeline, fall 2026. Watch at 2:04:08

Vehicle residents

• A speaker who lives in their vehicle asked the District to sit down with vehicle residents and agree on an action plan, saying a letter sent in June had not been answered. Watch at 0:32:13
• Councillor Greenlaw suggested raising the issue with candidates, as the next council will review the Official Community Plan. Councillor Stoner said she has been following Canmore's approach. Watch at 0:35:03
• A second speaker said enforcement goes beyond the bylaw's intent of not targeting locals, that their ticket disputes had not been answered, and that they are filing a human rights complaint. Watch at 0:39:36
• Councillor Pettingill moved the review and said the topic had not risen to the top in strategic planning. Councillor Greenlaw said vehicle residents also support the tourism sector. Watch at 0:46:46

Cheekye parcel F townhomes

• Mayor Hurford asked about the two driveways at the south end; staff said steeper grades to the north ruled out a second access there. Watch at 2:42:24
• Councillor Pettingill asked about accessibility. Staff said the pedestrian routes should be accessible and that final grades are confirmed at building permit; council would need new guidelines to require more. Watch at 2:44:37

Wildfire, mailboxes and other correspondence

• Wildfire: Councillor Andersen said FireSmart material could feed two local biomass boilers that now run on natural gas. Councillor Stoner said the province's two-year funding for FireSmart can no longer be used for fuel reduction work, a gap staff were directed to bring to the budget. Watch at 3:16:29
• Mailboxes: Councillor Greenlaw said community mailboxes matter more as neighbourhoods densify. Councillor Andersen suggested involving the Chamber of Commerce. The Mayor said some residents also valued their local post office. Watch at 3:11:09
• Health minister's letter: Councillor Pettingill said some of its claims did not match what he has heard locally. Watch at 3:25:31
• Squamish Insight Model: Councillor Hamilton asked whether there is capacity to maintain it; staff said yes for the current model, while adding commercial data would need budget. Councillor Andersen said it does not cover industrial or export-sector land needs. Watch at 3:27:13

Public input

CN presented the Rail Safety Week request, and members of a Community Living BC community council presented the Community Inclusion Month request. Three people spoke during unscheduled public attendance: a resident on narrow streets and parking near Hood and Diamond roads, saying the 6-metre single driveway limit does not keep up with densification, and two vehicle residents (see above). The owner of the High Creek Drive property spoke to the permit appeal.

Following up

From earlier issues: This meeting took place before most of the meetings we have covered. The Canada Post letter joins the Brackendale post office correspondence that staff are following up on. Since this meeting, on September 29 council gave three readings to the council pay bylaw (No. 3285), which allows up to $2,000 a year in legal fees as a council expense, and on October 6 council adopted it, along with Housing Agreement Bylaw 3267 for 1940 Centennial Way (in past issues).

New items we'll watch for:

• Hunter Place rezoning (Bylaw 3230-2026): adoption, after the flood covenant and traffic study update.
• Review of vehicle residency enforcement, with ticket statistics: at a future committee of the whole, likely the next council.
• Wildfire risk reduction in parks: in the 2027 budget process.
• Health minister's letter: deferred to the next regular business meeting; not on the October 6 agenda.
• Short-term rental permit policy review: 2027.

What's next

• Since this meeting: Budget workshops were held on September 22 (utilities), September 29 and October 6, and the general local election took place on October 17.
• November 10: Budget workshop pulling the 2027–2036 financial plan together.
• November: The new council's inaugural meeting, where it will make its own appointments, including to the Community Forest roles.
• 2027: Review of the short-term rental permit policy.

Get involved

• Council meetings are open to the public in person at Municipal Hall or by livestream.
• Unscheduled public attendance lets up to three people raise urgent or agenda-related matters at a regular meeting.
• Agendas, reports and ways to contact council are on the District's council page.

Terms used

Clustering threshold: staff's rule of no new short-term rental permits on a street where more than 20% of properties already have a licence · Committee of the whole: a meeting of all of council for more detailed discussion · Development permit: approval of a project's form and character against District guidelines · FireSmart: a program that helps reduce wildfire risk around homes and neighbourhoods · Housing agreement: an agreement registered on title that controls rents and who may rent a unit · Land development agreement: an agreement between the District and a developer setting out what a rezoned project must deliver · Sunset clause: a condition that ends an approval if work does not start in time · Temporary use permit: a permit allowing a use for a limited time, with conditions · Three readings: a bylaw needs three readings and then a final adoption vote to take effect.

Context notes

We check factual figures cited at the meeting against public sources where we can. These notes add context; they are not verdicts on any speaker.

• Rail crossing figures (cited by CN as 252 crossing incidents, 69 deaths and 60 serious injuries across Canada in 2025): the Transportation Safety Board's 2025 rail statistics, which cover federally regulated railways, report 16 crossing deaths and 71 rail deaths in all in 2025. CN's figures match the TSB's once crossing and trespassing incidents are added together: 160 + 92 = 252 accidents, 16 + 53 = 69 deaths and 29 + 31 = 60 serious injuries. CN described all of these as crossing incidents.
• CT scanner (cited by Councillor Stoner as $2.6 million from the regional hospital district toward almost $7 million, serving 7,000 patients a year): the BC government's February 12, 2024 announcement put the project at about $6.5 million and projected 7,000 scans a year. The announcement doesn't give the hospital district's share; the $2.6 million figure is Councillor Stoner's.
• 0.2% rental vacancy rate (cited by Councillor Stoner): CMHC's October 2025 rental market survey, on its Housing Market Information Portal, puts Squamish's vacancy rate at about 0.1%, near zero. VacancyRates.ca lists 0.2%.

Council Watch Squamish is an independent, unofficial summary of publicly accessible meetings of the Squamish Council. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the District of Squamish. This summary was generated by AI from an automatic transcript and may contain errors. Watch the linked video for the official record.

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