Non-profit partners with business in affordable housing project

City of Powell River staff and proponents of a proposed development on Joyce Avenue have reached an agreement on the level of services the developers have to provide.

JV30 Holdings Ltd. is a land development company recently formed through an equal partnership between Powell River Association for Community Living (PRACL) and Imperia Developments Ltd. Lilla Tipton, PRACL executive director, David Morris, a PRACL board member, and Jim Agius, representing Imperia, attended the city’s September 20 committee-of-the-whole meeting to address council on the proposed plans.

JV30 owns 12 hectares northeast of the Powell River General Hospital. The company plans on providing services to families needing assistance with children and also for the development of affordable, accessible housing. The plan calls for a phased development, starting with a 16-lot subdivision. The conceptual future development includes 75 single-family lots, a one-hectare multi-family lot, a 0.68-hectare commercial lot and 2.85 hectares of open space under the hydro right of way.

A preliminary layout review (PLR) was issued by the city’s approving officer in July. The developers requested relaxation of several engineering requirements included in the PLR. They applied for a development variance permit to eliminate the works and services for Abbotsford Street, the contribution for works and services for the unnamed road adjacent to the west side of the property and the requirements to extend sanitary services the full extent of the property.

Morris pointed out at the committee meeting that PRACL was a non-profit organization. The costs associated with the infrastructure requirements would have a significant impact on the cash flows from the development back through to PRACL and “impact its ability to deliver services to the various clients of PRACL in the community.”

At the end of the discussion, councillors passed a motion directing staff to seek a compromise with the developers.

Carlos Felip, manager of development services, told the Peak he met with the applicants the day after the committee meeting and reached an agreement with them. Felip said the applicants wanted those infrastructure requirements to be reviewed at a later phase of the development. “It is something that will be postponed for later on, because it’s not the subject of this application,” he said.

The proponents withdrew their development variance permit application, Felip said.