qRD committee denies rezoning for Nootka Street development

An application for a simultaneous official community plan and zoning bylaw amendment to allow for significant development at 7440 Nootka Street has been denied.

At the March 6 qathet Regional District (qRD) planning committee meeting, directors considered a recommendation for the planned development, which had proposed 177 single-dwelling units on the 15.15-hectare property. According to a staff report, the proponent had applied to redesignate the subject property from commercial recreation and manufactured home park to multi-family residential and rezone the property to increase the allowable residential density.

Reasons for denying the rezoning included changes to the proposal that vary significantly from the original application. There was also an outdated services capacity analysis and traffic impact study to support the revised application, according to the recommendation.

Further, there was inconsistency with established settlement pattern of the Nootka Street neighbourhood and inconsistency with the established land use designations and recommended residential densities in the Electoral Area B official community plan. Finally, there was inconsistency with the intent of the Nootka Street zoning bylaw, according to the recommendation.

Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne, in whose electoral area the proposed development is situated, said he supported denying the application for the reasons listed in the staff report.

“These are very much similar to my concerns, about a year ago, when the application came in,” said Gisborne. “It has been a challenging situation up on Nootka, but it has been challenging ever since the zoning bylaw came into effect.

“The response from the public is interesting, with some of the comments around the proposed development. There’s folks saying they don’t want any RVs. My understanding from the Nootka Street zoning bylaw is that it doesn't distinguish between an RV and a house. It’s one dwelling per hectare.”

Gisborne said there had been correspondence in November 2023 from residents of Nootka Street. He said the attitude was they were in favour of some more development and flexibility, but the issue before the committee was not to allow another dwelling or two. It was a significant difference between what the zoning bylaw currently allows, he added.

“Right now, it’s 15 dwellings for the property and the application is for 177, so that’s a big jump,” said Gisborne. “I’m in favour of denying this application because of how much difference it would make with this one property and all the properties around it. If we do want to change the zoning bylaw and the official community plan, I like balance and fairness. It would be more appropriate to change it for the entire neighbourhood – for something that works for the whole neighbourhood.”

Electoral Area A director and committee chair Jason Lennox said he was voting in favour of the recommendation to deny the application.

“The five points raised here are completely what I have seen from the staff report and the public hearing and engagement that we’ve had,” said Lennox. “These points are valid.”

The committee voted in favour to deny official community plan and zoning bylaw amendments to allow the rezoning to proceed.

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