A zoning amendment for a Life Cycle Housing Society rental housing development in Cranberry will be going to public hearing.
At the December 17 City of Powell River Council meeting, councillors approved a recommendation that the zoning amendment bylaw be read a first and second time and that the matter be sent to public hearing. The recommendation also stipulated that as a condition of zoning approval, the applicant be requested to dedicate all road dedication that meets requirements of city bylaws regulating subdivision, to the satisfaction of the approving officer. Further, the applicant would be required to equip the development with solar ready and electric vehicle ready features.
Councillor Rob Southcott said it was an exciting recommendation. He said the project represents a partnership between Life Cycle Housing and BC Housing, and years of work, and the eight-page report council received gives a good overview of the project.
“It’s such a worthy project in my view, given the rental housing situation in Powell River,” said Southcott. “It’s an example of infill development. Where it is proposed to be located will allow for walkability of people who are residents there, and a reduction in car dependency. There is affordability on top of all of that.”
Southcott said the development includes eight lots owned by Life Cycle Housing and one by the province. These are going to be amalgamated, he said.
“I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically support this,” said Southcott.
Councillor George Doubt said he would be voting in favour of taking the matter to public hearing and agreed this is a better plan than a previous one he’d heard about.
He said he thinks Cranberry has the capacity to be a great walkable village-type community that’s great for families and seniors.
“This type of development would fit right in there,” said Doubt. “I want to clarify in my mind how the sidewalk connections are going to work and how the street crossings are going to work. There is a sidewalk on the road in Cranberry that is on the opposite side of the street right now and to get to the sidewalk you’d have to cross a busy road. It’s a long way to any crosswalks and I’d like to clarify that and make sure it’s walkable.”
Councillor Maggie Hathaway said Life Cycle Housing has been around for a long time and has a good background in running these types of projects. She said she was glad BC Housing was partnering in the project.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said she was excited to see it as well and agrees with Doubt that there should be some crosswalks close to that area that allows families to cross to DA Evans Park safely.
She said the preliminary design seems to be pretty good. She said the development has some family housing, some singles housing and some wheelchair-accessible housing. She said it’s a good mix and she thinks it’s going to be a credit to the neighbourhood.
Councillor Jim Palm said he wanted to speak about Frances Ladret, the person leading Life Cycle Housing.
“She’s always going about her business quietly, and she’s unassuming, but always thinking about community,” said Palm. “She works for the community all of the time and she’s still hard at it. I’m sure this project will be a tremendous success under her leadership.”
According to a staff report from manager of planning services Jason Gow, the city has received an application to rezone lands in the Cranberry neighbourhood along Cranberry Street between Dieppe Crescent and an undeveloped portion of Ortona Avenue. Gow stated the subject lands are nine parcels, eight of which are owned by Life Cycle Housing and one by BC Housing. The parcels, if amalgamated, would be about an acre in size.
The Life Cycle Society lands currently have eight small single family dwellings, which would be demolished to make way for a 24-unit affordable rental housing project with one, two and three-bedroom dwellings.
