Around 65 people packed the chambers of View RoyalB次元官网网址檚 town hall for its latest council meeting to discuss tax waivers for mixed-income housing planned near Thetis Lake.
Those opposed to the development echoed some similar refrains: most acknowledged the need to provide affordable rental housing in town and said they supported of the idea of it but questioned the location and argued the nearly million-dollar tax break was too lenient.
Thetis Lake Apartments submitted an application to create 152 multi-family residential units at near-market or below-market rates on 13 acres of land on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway.
The resident to speak first said he supported the waiver and claimed after gaining experience while working in government for 15 years that the development is the B次元官网网址渆xact model that works.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 so important that we have all demographics of a society in our communities,B次元官网网址� he said, adding that B次元官网网址渙pportunities like thisB次元官网网址onB次元官网网址檛 come often.B次元官网网址�
ALSO READ: Project would revive B次元官网网址榲irtually extinctB次元官网网址� affordable housing in View Royal
The location B次元官网网址渄oesnB次元官网网址檛 make sense,B次元官网网址� another speaker argued. Cars having one road leading into the parking lots of two six-storey rental buildings was not enough, she noted.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been friends of many people looking for affordable housing. This doesnB次元官网网址檛 seem the right fit,B次元官网网址� the resident said. She also noted the lack of transportation options would be of concern to the future residents.
B次元官网网址淪ix hundred metres to a bus stop?B次元官网网址� asked a resident who said she lived nearby. She wondered whether children and people with mobility issues could be expected to walk that far during the winter.
Applicant Mike Baier said developers Limona Group regularly receives calls from people inquiring on whether there are any vacancies in the affordable apartment building. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 their choice,B次元官网网址� he said, noting some would rather live near B次元官网网址渂eautifulB次元官网网址� trails and bodies of water than have a grocery store B次元官网网址渁cross the street.B次元官网网址�
Baier stressed getting this far in the development stage takes a long time. B次元官网网址淚f it doesnB次元官网网址檛 happen here and now, for some reason, it will not happen anytime in the near future in View Royal, we all know that. This process has taken 18 months so far.B次元官网网址�
He added, B次元官网网址淢ost wanna see affordable housing come along. They really donB次元官网网址檛 want it in their backyard.B次元官网网址�
Council deferred its decision on the bylaw to waive about $926,000 in development cost charges until a later date.
Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Mitzi Dean spoke about the housing affordability crisis affecting BC, adding the housing crisis has been left to B次元官网网址渆scalate for so long.B次元官网网址� Apartments in the Greater Victoria area have a 1.2 per cent vacancy rate, according to a 2018 CMHC rental market report.
Dean said the costs relating to the project were scrutinized and formulated in order to sustain it for decades into the future.
B次元官网网址淔or a proposal like this to have reached this stage, itB次元官网网址檚 had to go through 18 months of processing, with a lot of public servants at BC housing with a lot of expertise as well. ThereB次元官网网址檚 due diligence at every stage of the process.B次元官网网址�
The townB次元官网网址檚 chief administrative officer was at one point asked to clarify that the DCC money could only be spent on infrastructure relating to the development itself. One resident noted the DCC could be used as a reserve fund to pay for repairs stemming from increased use of roads, water and sewage in the area from the development.
ALSO READ: Neighbourhood group concerned about proposed Thetis Lake Apartments
Another resident cited provincial DCC B次元官网网址淏est Practices GuideB次元官网网址� for local government responsibilities that states DCC bylaw must take into account whether the proposed DCC will B次元官网网址渄eter developmentB次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址榙iscourage the development of reasonably priced housing or reasonably priced serviced land.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淵ou canB次元官网网址檛 lose the money you havenB次元官网网址檛 collected; you canB次元官网网址檛 lose money you donB次元官网网址檛 collect in taxesB次元官网网址� he added.
swikar.oli@goldstreamgazette.com
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