Image: City of Chilliwack / Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Capella Dance Academy

Chilliwack mayor, councillor hope to keep Chilliwack dance academy operating in industrial area of town

Aug 22, 2024 | 10:22 AM

CHILLIWACK — Despite a city staff recommendation that Chilliwack council deny a rezoning application, Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove and Councillor Harv Westeringh hope to keep a Chilliwack dance academy operating in an industrial area of town.

Agenda item 7.5 at Tuesday’s council meeting asked councillors to approve a rezoning application from realtor Bryan Van Hoepen to amend the Official Community Plan designation from general industrial to mixed commercial and industrial for a dance studio, Capella Dance Academy, located at 7949 Venture Place.

Image: Google Maps / Location of Capella Dance Academy (red pin on map) in Chilliwack.

According to a staff report dated August 9 from City of Chilliwack planner Krista Goodman, a temporary use permit (TUP) was issued in August 2015 to Capella Dance Academy, enabling them to operating within units 3 and 4 of 7949 Venture Place in Chilliwack. The area in question is near Lickman Road and Yale Road West. The dance studio has successfully been operating under various temporary applications and renewals for the past nine years, including in June 2024 when a TUP was renewed and approved to continue the operation of its dance studio.

Image: Capella Dance Academy / The staff of Capella Dance Academy.

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The applicant, realtor Bryan Van Hoepen, had asked the city to amend the in order to permit a variety of service commercial and industrial uses. The applicant sought the rezoning as an avenue to permanently allow the continued operation of Capello Dance Studio as well as to allow various other commercial tenants to operate on the subject property. No alterations to the site layout, parking or existing building are envisioned at this time.

However, the requested rezoning runs contrary to industrial land policies adopted by the city. In August 2019 the City, in partnership with the Chilliwack Economic Partners Cooperation (CEPCO), formulated the Industrial Land Strategy which outlined various objectives and policy options to address key issues affecting industrial lands and business within the City. This strategy highlighted significant concerns including the retention and expansion of industrial businesses, the underutilization of industrial land and the use of industrial land for non-industrial purposes. The strategy also identified key objectives to address these concerns including increasing industrial development capacity to meet long term employment goals, exploring opportunities to intensify and improve land use efficiency and to focus on industrial promotion on high priority targets. City staff say the proposed OCP amendment and rezoning application run contrary to the objectives of the Industrial Land Policy by promoting commercial uses in predominantly industrial areas, which in the long term, limits industrial growth and potential to achieve employment needs.

Rather than cast a vote for or against the requested rezoning, Councillor Harv Westeringh asked that it be brought back to staff.

Image: City of Chilliwack / Councillor Harv Westeringh.

“I’d like to refer this back to staff just so that they can take another look at it; maybe we can have another discussion on it at the next council meeting,” Westeringh said.

Mayor Popove asked for clarification around which part of the rezoning application needed clarification.

“The zoning portion specifically,” Westeringh said. “I just have some concerns. I understand staff’s position that it be denied. I get why just because of the industrial land policy. There have been some applications brought forward over the last few years. There are some concerns around different tenants in that building.”

Mayor Popove said, “Maybe there’s a possibility of some spot zoning in that actual building. The applicant here has been in this city for a long time. For me it’s a balance. If we can find some common ground and keep business going as usual, I’d be supportive.”

Westeringh added, “I’m thinking we can be creative.”