Parksville council heard from residents about a proposed affordable housing building, with the majority expressing support for the idea, but not the location.
The four-storey, 36-unit non-market rental apartment building, intended to bolster workforce housing, would be built on city-owned land on the corner of Franklin’s Gull Road and the old Island Highway, if approved.
Parksville Lions Housing Society first brought the proposal to council earlier this year. The building will require an official community plan (OCP) amendment bylaw and a zoning and development bylaw to move forward.
The city has received 178 written submissions related to the project, with 130 clearly in opposition and 37 clearly in support, according to manager of administrative services and corporate officer Amanda Weeks.
Tom Roy, president of the Parksville Lions Housing Society, said the group has completed all the studies required by the city and no issues have come up.
“Most of the concerns that we have heard from people who are opposed to this project revolve around transportation," Roy said. "I would like to confirm that 80 per cent of eligible tenants can make over $80,000 per year and will likely own their own vehicle."
He added the building will have underground parking for tenants. The building will include 18 one-bedroom units, 15 two-bedrooms and three three-bedrooms units. The city-owned land at 1225 Franklin’s Gull Rd. will be leased to the society long-term.
The proposed changes would see the OCP amended to change the map designation from Community Use and Tourist Commercial designations to the Multi-Unit Residential designation.
Part of the property is designated as Community Use on the city's future land-use map, with another portion designated as tourist commercial. It also has sections designated as Public Institutional and Highway Commercial. According to a report by director of planning and building Blaine Russell, these split-designations are a result of a 2015 property boundary adjustment.
Concerns at the public hearing included increased traffic, safety, distance from amenities such as schools and grocery stores, water shortages, as well as the need to alter the OCP.
Jim McKinlay said he opposed the project because the OCP states that lands for multi-unit residential use are to be located near transit routes, public amenities and services and commercial or mixed-use areas.
"This location certainly does not meet this requirement," he said. “A good project in a poor location easily becomes a poor project.”
Julie Gibbler said the project would be in the "wrong location" and will not meet the needs of the future residents.
“There are no essential services and amenities nearby this location for the residents who would occupy this building,” she said, and added the city centre is nearly four kilometres away.
A resident of an established affordable housing building said she disagrees that transit will be a problem.
“I don’t own a car, so I have to cycle or take transit everywhere. I’m out there all the time by transit," said Zoe Kirk. “I am an example of a Parksville Lions Housing Society tenant. I wouldn’t be able to live here without the support and subsidized housing.”
She added that a new building will help encourage construction of amenities such as sidewalks and green space areas.
Pat Crompton said the city needs more affordable housing, but she opposed the location at a high traffic area.
"I’m very concerned about the safety of any children who might be living there," she said. "It has been said it’s a very busy area. People speed along that Northwest Bay Road.”
Parksville Lions Housing Society intends to respond to the next CHF proposal call in early 2025, and hopes that approval from the city will help it score higher in BC Housing’s evaluation review, since it will be considered "shovel ready".
Parksville council voted on Oct. 21 to give the project two readings and advance it to a public hearing. Councillors noted numerous concerns brought up at an open house in July, as well as expressions of support.
Council will consider third reading of the bylaws for the Lion’s 1225 Franklins Gull Rd. housing project at its Dec. 16 meeting,according to Deb Tardiff, manager of communications for the city.
