Judgement day for treehouse hotel as Revelstoke councillors prepare to review application

City of Revelstoke councillors will debate whether to go against the wishes of Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s (RMR) owners as they review an application for a treehouse hotel development on Tuesday, June 14.

Developer David Evans, and his wife Shelley, of Nichol Road’s Mackenzie Village development are behind the Camozzi Bench development, which will feature treepod accommodations and a central lodge (a total of 100 beds), located near the north-west property boundaries of their land on Camozzi Road, east of RMR’s village.

Northland Properties owns RMR and has opposed the development, anticipating it will take away potential guests from their Sutton Place Hotel operation. RMR’s master development agreement with the city requires them to add ski infrastructure before they can build more accommodation. The resort has argued in letters to city council that if vacancy rates are affected, there is less money for infrastructure, meaning there is less incentive to develop.

However, Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations has said that RMR currently has another 4,000 beds on hand, which the resort could develop, or sell to be developed.

The red dot is an estimate of the proposed treehouse development off Camozzi Road, here depicted in the 2003 master development plans for the Revelstoke Mountain Resort, showing it was included in the original phase one development plans for the resort.

In their first report on the development, the City of Revelstoke’s Development Services department has recommended Evans’ application to rezone the land be approved.

This will pave the way, after a number of procedural meetings, for Evans to develop the first stage of Camozzi Bench, using 25 per cent of his 7.2 hectare property.

To give RMR some leeway on their development plans, Evans has proposed the remaining 5.4 hectares, or 75 per cent, of his property be retained under a no-build, no-disturb covenant for five years.

It comes with conditions though.

Evans wants RMR to update their resort master development plan within two years. He states that this plan should show a three- to five-year investment program that includes utilizing the Revelation Gondola to the top of the mountain for summer sightseeing, establishing mountain biking on the mountain, construction of a full service restaurant facility and washrooms at the top of the Revelation Gondola and install at least one additional lift that would increase the skiable terrain.

If RMR does not provide this new plan, the covenant will be null after two years and Evans can move on with his plans.

“If RMR is genuinely committed to growing the four season tenure they have and establishing Revelstoke as a true destination town, the five-year no build covenant is a reasonable and more-than-fair offer,” Evans wrote in his application letter to city council.

An impression of the Camozzi Bench accommodation development. Photo: Selkirk Planning & Design

RMR were not aware of the covenants before today.

“I spoke to Rob Toor, the lawyer, about six weeks ago,” Evans told the Mountaineer. “They haven’t seen my presentation until today. That was why I was very surprised and shocked by their letter, before they knew what I was doing.”

“I’m sure they’re not going to appreciate it. But at the end of the day, I’m offering them considerable concessions, with access to their land.”

As part of his application to the city, Evans will register a statutory right-of-way to allow for public access through his land, vital to RMR if it is to develop on land surrounding Evans’ property.

“The concessions I have made are large, they’re huge,” Evans said. “I could build on there tomorrow and refuse access to RMR. There is no way they can get to their future lands to the south.”

An impression of the Camozzi Bench accommodation development. Photo: Selkirk Planning & Design

If the first and second hearing of Evans’ rezoning application is approved by city council, it will go to a public hearing in July before the third reading is approved. Then a master development plan will be worked out with the city which will stipulates any studies or infrastructure needed for the development to go ahead. The rezoning will then go to a fourth reading before being adopted.

RMR vice-president of operations Peter Nielsen was contacted to comment, but did not respond before deadline.

For background on this story, including an ongoing war of words (in letters to Revelstoke City Council) between Revelstoke Mountain Resort and David Evans, see this story.