Updated with clarification on Jan. 2, 2018

A proposed redevelopment of a portion of Beacon Avenue in Sidney has one local politician wanting to take steps to ensure the public knows about it B次元官网网址� before anyone thinks of blaming them for slipping the project under the radar.

Councillor Peter Wainwright noted at this weekB次元官网网址檚 Sidney council committee of the whole meeting that the project B次元官网网址� a proposed five-storey mixed-use building at the corner of Beacon and 4th Street B次元官网网址� is of such significance that it will likely garner a lot of public response. However, because the proponent is only seeking zoning variances and not a full rezoning, it is not subject to a public hearing.

B次元官网网址淚t kind of looks like a major development to me,B次元官网网址� said Wainwright. B次元官网网址淏ut B次元官网网址� thereB次元官网网址檚 no public hearing because itB次元官网网址檚 not a rezoning amendment. We may very well have a lot of people unaware of this going on.B次元官网网址�

He added that could lead to some people accusing council of B次元官网网址渟lipping this under the radar.B次元官网网址�

Wainwright said he would like to see council avoid any perception of that, and suggested the project and itB次元官网网址檚 variance application be advertised twice in the Peninsula B次元官网网址 Review. Such ads, he said would make it clear thereB次元官网网址檚 no public hearing, but enable people to find out about it and to learn more.

B次元官网网址淭here should be absolutely no way of any perception that council was trying to slip this through.B次元官网网址�

Wainwright also suggested this could be something council does for every five-or-six-storey multi-use development in town.

Mayor Steve Price said he was worried doing this B次元官网网址� essentially changing councilB次元官网网址檚 procedures policy B次元官网网址渙n the flyB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� could put them at legal liability with developers. He said itB次元官网网址檚 a change to the process and could stop this development application to do a procedure change and then advertise it, adding time to the process.

SidneyB次元官网网址檚 Chief Administrative Officer Randy Humble said staff would have to look into that, noting that to do so would require council to make a change to the existing procedures bylaw. Wainwright said he thinks it can all be done without stopping the development process.

The rest of council, apart from the mayor, agreed.

What is being proposed for the corner is a five-storey, 35-residential unit and single commercial space building B次元官网网址� being eyed early on for a restaurant. Architect Sylvia Bonet with Finlayson Bonet Architects, is seeking variances to the TownB次元官网网址檚 height limit as well as in the number of parking spaces B次元官网网址� reducing the required 44 parking bays to 40.

The building will replace existing structures that are sitting upon contaminated soil. The level of contamination was not discussed this week, but its clean up will be part of the project.

Yet, its height raised issues for some councillors.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 afraid this is going to be precedent setting,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Barbara Fallot. B次元官网网址淭his is one of the first buildings on main street thatB次元官网网址檚 going to be developed.B次元官网网址�

She said she cannot support it at five stories. To the north of this site, a five-storey building is already under construction. It was given permission to go higher as itB次元官网网址檚 providing 54 units of affordable housing.

Price noted that while five or six stories are only allowed in the centre block area of downtown Sidney B次元官网网址� mainly for attainable housing B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渢hat doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean we canB次元官网网址檛 do it for any other buildings.B次元官网网址�

The mayor added this is one of the first projects on Beacon Avenue and he doesnB次元官网网址檛 want it shut down over the height issue B次元官网网址� something he said could shut down development in Sidney B次元官网网址渇or 20 years.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e want the town to grow, to have the family suites B次元官网网址� we have to go up a bit. I encourage everyone to have an open mind.B次元官网网址�

Price ended up opposing the recommendation to send the project to the next step in the approval process B次元官网网址� but only over amendments made by his fellow councillors to ask the developers to re-design some aspects of the building. Those aspects include setting back the fourth and fifth stories further from 4th Street (itB次元官网网址檚 already significantly set back from Beacon) and adding more pedestrian cover along Beacon.

Fallot was the only other councillor opposed, but the proposal will now proceed to the Advisory Planning Commission review, following the changes asked-for by council this week.

Clarification: An earlier version of this article stated that Mayor Price was worried that changing councilB次元官网网址檚 procedures policy on the fly could put council at B次元官网网址渞iskB次元官网网址� with developers. It has been changed to B次元官网网址渓egal liabilityB次元官网网址� to better reflect his comments.

editor@peninsulanewsreview.com
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