Creston Town Council has approved the sale of a town-owned property to FortisBC, despite concerns the land could have been used for future housing development.
Council voted four to two Tuesday to authorize the sale of 1510 Birch Street for $190,000, excluding GST. Councillor’s Keith Baldwin and Carolyn Hawton voted against the motion.
Chief administrative officer Mike Moore told council FortisBC first expressed interest in buying the property in 2025 as part of a plan to relocate its substation.
“It was a property we had acquired a few years back now with the intention of perhaps some future housing development,” explained Moore.
Baldwin strongly opposed the sale, arguing the property could provide a valuable site for multi-purpose housing in a residential neighborhood.
“The neighborhood is zoned residential in the OCP, and this is a big parcel right beside houses and developments, exactly what we had in mind prior to the formation of the housing corporation as an ideal shovel-ready development area for multi-family homes, ” he said.
He highlighted a lack of community consultation around the sale and noted how the property had deliberately been kept out of a transfer to the town’s housing corporation.
“This was planned before there was a sale,” said Baldwin. “The community has had no say in this. They probably won’t notice that this is even happening.”
Baldwin also questioned whether the sale was in the town’s or neighborhoods best interests, arguing council needed more information about how the property would be used and what the community would gain from the transaction.
Councillor Denise Dumas defended the deal. She said FortisBC representatives had indicated they would engage with the neighbourhood about plans for the area.
“They will be going out for public engagement for that piece to be able to speak to the neighbourhood and speak to the people about what to develop that one little area,” Dumas said.
She also said the sale could help keep FortisBC user fees down.
“Fortis had mentioned that this would be helpful for them to keep user fees down for the town of Creston.”
Moore confirmed the agreement includes a registered right of first refusal, allowing the town to match an offer if FortisBC later decides to sell or enter into a long-term lease for the property.
However, the agreement does not give the town control over how the property is used beyond its existing land-use policies.
The sale remains subject to the town completing the required public notice process under the Community Charter.
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