City council unanimously rejected an application to rezone the former Sears building at the Railyard Mall, which would have allowed it to become zoned for a Return-It recycling depot.

The land use amendment application by the Railyard Mall failed to receive approval for third reading, which would have sent it to the adoption phase.

About 45 people attended a public hearing on the potential rezone Tuesday night prior to the regular city council meeting.

Seven people made speeches and three letters were read aloud which all essentially disapproved of the rezoning.

People cited traffic congestion, safety issues, cleanliness, possible broken glass and attraction of mice as reasons not to have the property rezoned to allow Encorp Pacific to house a recycling depot at the mall.

Paul Maire, regional manager for Colliers International — the property manager for the mall — spoke at the hearing as well.

Maire said the company’s initial reaction was to deny incorporating the recycling depot, but upon further investigation and the inspection of some of Encorp’s other recycling depot locations in the Lower Mainland, their minds were changed.

“One site’s adjacent to a retail grocer. Another site is in between a restaurant and a dental office. They were clean, they were well presented, they were bright and not in any way, shape or form what my vision of the typical bottle depot was,” Maire said.

Maire said the company was satisfied that Encorp could operate a recycling depot “in a clean and well-represented manner that is attractive to the public.”

Maire also said all inventory would be housed inside the building.

No Encorp representative was at the public hearing or subsequent council meeting.

Current owner of the Merritt Return-It Depot Pauline Warren said she was initially looking to relocate to the Railyard Mall, but determined the rent was too expensive.

She told the Herald she is in the process of acquiring a new location on Clapperton Avenue, which is already zoned C3 — the zoning that allows for recycling depots.

Warren said the application to rezone the mall location was a backup plan as the depot’s Blair Street temporary use permit expires in May and can’t be renewed.

She said Encorp will be renewing her operating licence if she moves to a proper location.

Coun. Dave Baker said he thinks Encorp should award a definite licence to operate at this location before council commits to a rezoning.

The bylaw was returned to Tuesday night’s council meeting, where third reading was denied and the application was defeated.

Coun. Neil Menard was absent from the meeting.