The City of Victoria is looking for public input on a rezoning bylaw relating to a potential six-storey mixed-use development without parking spaces on Broughton Street.
On Thursday, Jan 30, city council members will vote on the first reading of the bylaw, however, they can't hold a public hearing as per the Local Government Act.
The 42-unit building calls for zero residential parking spaces, though the requirement is 25, and zero visitor parking spaces while the requirement is four. The developers, Fort Properties, appealed to add a mid-block crosswalk at the building to further promote a car-free lifestyle.
The variance also includes reducing the required yard setback from eight metres to seven metres for portions of the building above the first storey.
In October, the committee of the whole voted unanimously in favour of the proposal, which is on the site of a current parking lot, and council members mostly spoke in favour of the development.
"I'm glad to see what I think is going to be unanimous council support for a car-free, parking-free building. Maybe it's because we're all recognizing that 40 per cent of downtown households are already car-free. This building is very walkable, it's bikable, it's got the Fort [Street] and upcoming Blanshard [Street] protected bike lanes nearby, frequent transit," said Coun. Dave Thompson at the time.
The neighbouring property that houses the current YMCA at 851 Broughton St. was bought in 2018 by Concert Real Estate Corporation, which earlier this year unveiled plans for a 26-storey tower and 11-storey building on the site that would include 220 condos and 150 purpose-built rental units.
B次元官网网址淲e envision inviting the community with stunning new civic spaces that not only celebrate VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 rich architectural heritage but also address its urgent need for diverse housing supply,B次元官网网址� Concert wrote in a pre-application letter.
Those looking to provide comments to the city regarding the development can do so by emailing legistlativeservices@victoria.ca, mailing to Legislative Services, #1 Centennial Square, Victoria, B.C. V8W 1P6 or dropping it off to the ambassador in the city hall lobby.
