BRUDENELL, P.E.I. — THREE RIVERS, P.E.I. — Coun. Gerard Holland is concerned about whether the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute's (GWBI) growth will affect Brudenell.
"Whether we want it to look like Brudenell or whether we want it to look like downtown Hong Kong," he said.
The comment was in response to a residence building that the GWBI is proposing to construct on its property on Brudenell Point Road, which is a part of Three Rivers. Holland isn't necessarily opposed to supporting the GWBI but chose not to support the proposal right away.
"(Not) until we have a further discussion with our Buddhist community about what we want Brudenell to look like in 50 years."
The proposal was discussed during a Three Rivers' special council meeting at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown on Aug. 24. It was set to be approved but was ultimately tabled due to some councillors concerns.
AT A GLANCE:
- Nine Yards Studio, an architecture firm based out of Charlottetown, is helping design and plan the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute's proposed residence.
- Mark Steele, Nine Yards' contract administrator, said in an email to The Guardian that the residence would be three storeys tall, would span about 5,200 square metres and would house about 170 people.
While there was no specific response to Holland's comment, Coun. Cody Jenkins wanted to know whether the residence building would be taxed normally or whether it and the institute were considered a place of worship and would therefore have tax exemptions.
"I think maybe that's a question that should be answered before continuing down this road," he said.
Danielle Herring, Three Rivers' corporate services manager, said the information wasn't immediately available but it could – and would – be added into the proposal's resolution.
Some other councillors figured that only the GWBI's places of worship would be exempt from standard tax rates, but no one knew for sure. Many were open to supporting the GWBI but wanted to ensure this question wasn't overlooked.
"I certainly don't want to hold them up," Coun. Ronnie Nicholson said. "I do support them in theory, but I am concerned about what we may be leaving on the table."
Deputy mayor Debbie Johnston noted that there are also a few non-profits within the municipality that aren't taxed fully. She suggested tabling the decision until council's next regular meeting in September.
Daniel Brown is a local journalism initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government.
