Concerns about the proposed $500-million Hallō development at Granite Point Golf Course pushed Nelson city council to amend its new Official Community Plan (OCP).
The plan was officially adopted Tuesday after a lengthy debate and a public hearing held before the Sept. 9 regular council meeting.
At the hearing, several residents urged council to change section 4.9 of the draft plan, which outlined possible redevelopment of the golf course site.
The city also received 55 letters in advance asking for the project to be blocked.
In 2024, Vancouver-based developer Hallō Properties announced plans for a $500-million residential community at the golf course, prompting widespread criticism.
Residents told council Tuesday they worried the project would alter Nelson’s character and affect housing costs.
In response, councillors discussed amending section 4.9 – particularly its wording around a proposed community hub in Rosemont.
“I’d like to change the language of 4.9’s opening paragraph which suggests the intent,” said Councillor Rik Logtenberg.
Logtenberg felt residents had “latched on” to the term commercial hub to oppose the Halo proposal, but he believed they were not against smaller-scale businesses in the neighbourhood.
“Based on what I heard tonight and in the past, it seems to me what the city is imagining for the Rosemont neighbourhood is something that works to the benefit of the Rosemont neighbourhood. I don’t think the community has a problem with an uphill-style market in Rosemont,” he said.
“I think the problem isn’t the commercial hub, it’s the Hallō development. But with a slight amendment to the language, this stresses that we’re doing this for the benefit of the Rosemont neighbourhood.”
City chief administrative officer Kevin Cormack added that the developer does not have zoning approval for the project it has advertised.
“This developer does not have zoning to do anything, there’s no development application, they do not have zoning other than the first units, which have already been approved and can’t be revised,” Cormack said.
“There’s no way for that developer to move forward with some of these plans they have. And when you read the OCP, some of the visions this developer has don’t fit with the OCP.”
Cormack said the draft plan, even before the amendment to section 4.9, did not support the developer’s vision, including policies around seniors housing, affordable housing and integration with the downtown core.
He added that the land has not been rezoned to permit large-scale development.
“There’s no risk of some large development that this particular developer has communicated out there. It doesn’t fit right now and he has no zoning.”
After hours of discussion, council adopted the plan with an amendment to section 4.9.
The paragraph previously read: “Encourage the long-term vitality of the golf course by encouraging compatible redevelopment of the site in efforts to encourage a golf-oriented community that is highly integrated into the city.”
It was replaced with: “Support the long term vitality of the Rosemont neighbourhood by encouraging redevelopment of the Granite Pointe Redevelopment Land Use Designation to foster a healthy and diverse community.”
The adopted plan will guide city decision making over the coming decades. However, municipalities are required to review their OCP’s every five years to ensure its up-to-date and relevant.
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