New development approved

by Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star posted Sep 13, 2015 at 1:00 AM
Spallumcheen is welcoming a new business. Council unanimously agreed to staff recommendations to support an application for a development permit with variances that would allow Great West Equipment to construct its head office on L&A Cross Road (Coun. Todd York was absent from the meeting). “It’s nice to see new business come into the area, it’s good for the whole region,” said Coun. Christine Fraser. The variances are for increasing the size of a sign from six metres to 7.8 metres, and waiving the requirement to provide a landscape screen on the west, north and south side of the outdoor storage area on the property. “The applicant will be putting in fencing and other soft landscaping,” said township deputy planning manager Greg Routley. Great West Equipment is constructing a new building on two lots, with work on the project already underway. The building, when finished, will be 2,000 square meters in size with 4,000 square meters of flooring space. It will house service bays for heavy equipment, sales and associated other office spaces. Currently Great West Equipment staff work out of three different locations. “This will be housing our head office,” said Rob Rintoul, the company’s chief financial officer. “Three buildings consolidating into one is more efficient and will have lots of room for expansion down the road. “We’re looking to get everyone under one roof.” Support for the project came from L&A Cross Road resident John Toporchak. “It’s a good place, it will clean up the property and the municipality needs it,” said Toporchak, though he did express concerns about truck traffic on a road he calls a “goat trail.” Great West Equipment’s proposal includes a reservoir near the northeast corner of the property which is intended to accommodate fire suppressants and sprinklers for the building itself. An onsite septic disposal field area is planned for the northwest corner, and the southeast corner proposes to have onsite storm detention ponds. Township council has asked the Greater Vernon Water Utility to expand the water allocation for the Stepping Stones area so Great West Equipment can construct its new office. The two sides remain in discussions on the matter. “We’re trying hard to make it happen,” said Fraser.