An WW II-era marine vessel converted into a floating hydrotherapy spa will drop anchor in Vancouver’s Heritage Harbour Marina in Kitsilano, despite opposition from neighbours who’d rather see it moored elsewhere.

Vancouver City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to rezone the marina and museum area in the city’s Hadden Park. The rezoning allows for the waterfront wellness centre to be operated in the marina by HAVN Saunas, which has a similar business in Victoria’s harbour.

The proposed spa would be about 45 metres long and 10 metres high, raising concerns it would block public waterfront views, and crowd a marina too small for a big barge.

Kitsilano resident Elvira Lount organized a petition against the project, which garnered more than 2,500 signatures.

“Fundamentally, a vessel of such a massive size is simply not a good fit for this small marina, as anyone familiar with the marina should realize,” Lount said during a public hearing Tuesday.

Resident Amanda Slater echoed Lount’s concerns.

“At first, I didn’t understand why so many people signed the petition opposing this project. A sauna on the water done right sounds wonderful,” she told council.

“Then one day I was down at the harbour … the structure is simply too big for this bay.”

Helping the museum stay afloat

The Vancouver Maritime Museum Society approached the city about a partnership with the sauna operator last year to provide additional funding to its museum in Hadden Park.

David Jordan, the museum’s executive director, said proceeds from the spa will benefit the museum’s school programs, exhibitions and overall operations.

“We’re on cloud nine here. This is transformational for the museum,” he said.

The museum will receive a moorage fee of $250,000 from HAVN, he added.

“We already do moorage in the harbour to private individuals, so this will create a new revenue stream for the museum,” Jordan said.

During the Tuesday meeting, Kitsilano resident and artist Kate Armstrong said the spa brings stability to the museum, “while providing Vancouver residents with a health and lifestyle amenity that, in my view, is long overdue in this city.”

Meanwhile, Lount remained skeptical that the museum — which has a $1.6-million operating budget — would be getting the most out of the spa’s future revenues if it’s receiving only moorage fee money.

“Not only is this lousy deal a sellout of public waterfront space, it’s not even to the highest bidder,” said Lount.

The floating spa is expected to open next summer.