Lyonel Doherty, Times Chronicle
A zoning and OCP amendment application for a Sawmill Road duplex proposal isn’t sitting well with some members of Oliver town council.
Parking and a lack of mixed housing uses were issues of concern debated at the Feb. 13 meeting.
A report by Director of Development Services Randy Houle outlines the proposal for a nine-lot subdivision on the one-hectare property at 5791 Sawmill Road, comprising eight duplex parcels in the front and one agricultural parcel in the rear. The residential low density property features a single family dwelling and accessory buildings.
Conceptual drawings for the plan show two-storey duplexes with three bedrooms and single car garages.
Houle said the proposed development represents the best use of the land for a number of reasons. One includes the Official Community Plan encouraging higher density forms of housing such as duplexes in single-family neighbourhoods. He noted that allowing the duplexes creates an alternate form of housing with larger units for families. Houle also said the proposal makes a significant contribution towards requirements outlined in the Town of Oliver’s Housing Needs Report of 2020.
But not everyone on council is keen with the proposal.
Councillor Dave Mattes expressed a concern about parking, saying two parking spaces per unit is insufficient. “I don’t see any room for on-street parking for visitors.”
But Houle pointed out the development meets bylaw requirements for two parking spaces per duplex. He noted that a garage is a parking space.
Councillor Terry Schafer said this development is reminiscent of Circle Drive farther down the road. “Nobody parks on the street, everybody parks in the driveway or garage. Being a snowplow driver for many years, you can’t have cars parked on the street anyway.”
Councillor Petra Veintimilla said it’s not really fair to establish parking requirements and then “change our minds” for this development.
Fellow Coun. Aimee Grice said two parking spaces per unit, plus room for a third vehicle more than meets the requirement.
But Mayor Martin Johansen was frank in saying the parking arrangement here is “ridiculous,” adding that its functionality is “absurd.”
“This is going to be a gong show, with garbage cans, pickup, snowplows, visitors . . . you can’t create another problem solving another problem; that’s what we’re doing here.”
Johansen said council should take a hard look at the bylaw to “get the parking right.”
Schafer pointed out that many people are turning to electric bicycles now, which eliminates parking problems.
Mattes said the Sawmill Road proposal reminds him of Arbour Lane in the Tucelnuit neighbourhood where you “basically have to drive in and back out [because] there is nowhere to turn around and manoeuvre even though they have two parking stalls for each place.”
He fears that is what will happen in the Sawmill Road development.
Mattes also raised a concern about the “uniformity” of this neighbourhood plan, noting he would like to see a mix of uses, not just duplexes.
“I hate to say it but in the long term this will not be a nice neighbourhood; this will not really be the neighbourhood that you’ll want to live in. This will be a rental neighbourhood of duplexes that will probably end up being run down over a period of time.”
Mattes admitted that the development meets all the rules but it won’t be good for the town.
Grice agreed that mixed builds of single family, duplexes, condos and townhouses are important because it creates a good neighborhood with people of different incomes.
“I hate to use the word because I don’t want to say that’s what this is, but you want to stay away from essentially creating a slum because that’s what could happen if you build a bunch of low income housing in one specific area.”
Grice recommended going back to the developer with council’s comments.
Houle said it’s difficult to push back when each lot meets the requirements. “I tried to but this is what was brought forward.” He added that you can’t make the developer build a single family unit in there.
Schafer said he would actually like to see a little uniformity in this cul-de-sac.
“To predict this is going to become a slum is a little short sighted and a little pessimistic,” he said.
But Mattes agreed with Grice about potentially creating a slum in that neighbourhood.
Grice clarified that she doesn’t hate the proposal because she is pro-housing. She merely wants staff to chat with the developer to see if something “magical” can happen.
Houle said he would like to think the same proposal won’t come back to council after they talk with the developer.
Council voted to refer the application back to staff for additional information.
It was noted that a public hearing would be scheduled in the near future.
