A closed hotel may be opening its doors to visitors again soon, but this time to a different demographic.
Victoria Cool Aid Society is seeking a three-year temporary use permit to convert the Tally Ho Hotel at 3020 Douglas St. into 52 transitional housing units. The residence would include 24/7 staffing with trained resident support workers, access to health care and counselling and staff patrols around the exterior to inspect for damage and rubbish.
The application also stated visitors would be allowed on an individual basis, with staff monitoring their entrance and exit, which fuelled further council discussion at ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 committee of the whole meeting.
Coun. Ben Isitt said the restrictions on visitors discriminates against residents, and permitting only one guest at a time was B次元官网网址渁bsurd.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 say a resident of this facility has two children and maybe they have a custody agreement that restricts the hours of visitation, can they not visit the child in their home? B次元官网网址� Do they have to schedule that separately in shifts? ThatB次元官网网址檚 ridiculous,B次元官网网址� he said.
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Perceptions from the neighbouring community were also discussed. Coun. Geoff Young questioned the impact such a facility might have on the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood.
B次元官网网址淭hese facilities are being established without enough funding to address [potential problems],B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ou can only fool people so many times. People feel they got impacts from Rock Bay [Landing] that they didnB次元官网网址檛 expect.B次元官网网址�
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Coun. Charlayne Thornton Joe agreed.
B次元官网网址淚 share Coun. YoungB次元官网网址檚 concerns that Burnside Gorge is getting inundated with social and supportive housing, and I think the rest of the city and other municipalities need to share the load.B次元官网网址�
Avery Stetski, president of the Burnside Gorge Community Association, said in an interview that he was happy council sent the application back to the associationB次元官网网址檚 land-use committee before it goes to public hearing. While the association is in favour of supportive housing, he said, the problem is what happens outside the buildings.
B次元官网网址淲e have a lot of shelter space, supportive housing, and itB次元官网网址檚 causing problems in the neighbourhood,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淓ven in three years, weB次元官网网址檙e going to lose neighbours. WeB次元官网网址檙e losing them weekly now.
B次元官网网址淵ou canB次元官网网址檛 leave a rake out, you canB次元官网网址檛 leave a tool out in the yard. Kids canB次元官网网址檛 play in their yard because thereB次元官网网址檚 needles everywhere.B次元官网网址�
Stetski said the association wants to know what kind of programs and sheltering will be offered, and how any issues that overflow into the neighbourhood will be addressed.
B次元官网网址淲e need a definite stance about whatB次元官网网址檚 going in there,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚s that a safe injection site? We donB次元官网网址檛 know. It leaves these things open and they just compound the problem.B次元官网网址�
The date for the public hearing has not been set, but it will follow the land-use committee meeting.
