A new mixed-use mid-rise redevelopment project is coming to Lower Lonsdale, but unlike most, this one won’t be going through a public hearing first.
City of North Vancouver voted Monday (Feb. 28) to advance a proposal from Anthem Sunshine Developments for 57 strata homes above 6,276 square-feet of commercial space at 149 West Third St. The property is currently home to a produce store, restaurants and the now-shuttered North Shore Bowl.
It’s the latest project to qualify under new provincial rules allowing councils to forego a public hearing if the proposal is in compliance with the official community plan. It’s one in a series of measures intended to speed up the approval process for new housing.
If approved, the project will be similar in size and scope to the one built by the same developer immediately to the west.
Coun. Don Bell said it appeared to be a good project and he had no reason to believe there would much opposition, but said the public should still be heard before council makes its decision.
“It was a matter of time. It's part of the redevelopment of that area and the project that they did to the west is a high-quality project, so I have every reason to believe that Anthem will produce a quality project in this area,” he said. “I just think that when you have a significant development, particularly in a very prominent location in the community, we should go through the process. I think good process makes for good decisions.”
Bell moved to send Anthem’s proposal to a public hearing, but the motion failed.
Community members can still send their feedback on the proposal to the city in writing/email, other members of council noted.
“I think we are transparent. I don't think we're hiding anything at all. The public can have input just about any time,” said Coun. Holly Back.
Mayor Linda Buchanan said other more austere measures that dictate how local governments can throttle the speed of new housing are likely on the way.
“I've heard multiple ministers refer to it over the last several weeks. [Those measures] are coming for councils who are not moving fast enough, and I would say we're not one of them,” she said with a laugh. “However, there are reasons why they put processes in place, because they want to see that housing is not getting stalled within local governments and that we're moving forward and we are providing as much transparency as we can to the public.”
Council voted to advance the project without a public hearing, with Bell opposed.
