Artists’ studios, household repair shops and veterinary clinics will now be allowed to operate in Campbell Business Park North after council unanimously created a new land use district for the area.
Spurred by sluggish land sales and a difficulty in finding clients that meet the former high tech business park’s strict land uses under its original area structure plan, landowner Paul Wong of PJSJ Holdings successfully petitioned council to create a new kind of zoning.
“The goal has always been to develop a cohesive, upscale business park, but that has proceeded slower than hoped, which is attributed to restrictive regulations,” said Wong’s planning consultant David Klippenstein.
Under the district of Business Park 2 (Direct Control) created Monday evening, development officers will still be able to issue permits to proposed businesses that meet the expanded list of permitted uses.
“Anything beyond that, the applicant has to come to council,” explained senior planner Lenore Mitchell explained.
No one spoke at the public hearing.
“I think this is a real progressive step moving forward,” Coun. Malcolm Parker said. “We’ve listened to the developers, changed our standards and shown we are open for business. I was happy to see we are starting to address some of those restrictions that have been barriers for us to move forward.”
Under the redistricting, the list of permitted and discretionary uses will expand while keeping in place the architectural controls that were originally conceived when the park was created in 2003.
Permitted uses will now include:
• artist studio;
• general service;
• household repair service;
• specialty store;
• veterinary clinic, and
• warehouse store.
New discretionary uses are animal service, catering service, chemical processing (excluding tank farms), day care, drinking establishments, drive-thru business, equipment rental, fleet service, funeral home, general retail store, greenhouse and plant nursery, grocery store, hotel, liquor store, mini-storage, parking lot, religious assembly and theatre.
Mayor Nolan Crouse expressed his concern with some of the discretionary uses, including mini-storage units meeting the architectural guidelines, as well as allowing for churches.
“Religious assembly does not provide any tax revenue,” he said.
Mitchell said the uses outlined are not automatic.
“Let the market decide if this is a place for them,” she said.
