The praise may have been faint, but it was praise enough for a five-storey development due to be built on the vacant lot on 177 West Third St. in 2017.
In their last meeting of 2016, City of North Vancouver council approved a 57-unit development at the site of a former car wash and gas station on West Third Street at Chesterfield Avenue as well as a temporary real estate office at 802 East Third St., at Queensbury Avenue.
While he judged the apartment’s lack of gathering space “a shame,” Coun. Don Bell still concluded the concrete building was appropriate for the site.
“I find the project acceptable,” he said.
While not offering a courtyard or plaza, Anthem development company agreed to pay the city $2,383,720 upon receiving its building permit.
Coun. Craig Keating joined Bell in offering subdued support for the development city staff termed “North Shore contemporary.”
The building’s 52.5-foot height and floor space ratio (a building’s total floor space measured against the size of its lot) of 2.68 are both compliant with the city’s official community plan.
However, given the city’s 0.3 per cent vacancy rate, the project demonstrates the need for a higher standard, Keating argued.
“It does very little to help us move the ball forward in terms of rental housing, in terms of affordable housing, in terms of transportation.”
More effusive in her praise was Coun. Linda Buchanan, who suggested the building’s three-bedroom units were “much needed.”
While the units “won’t necessarily be affordable” for many renters, the project still brings new housing stock to the community, according to Buchanan.
Buchanan offered a word of caution around amalgamation, suggesting Anthem prohibit renters from consolidating two- and three-bedroom suites into four- and six-bedroom units.
The project includes 10,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
“I would really encourage the applicant to make sure that they can animate the bottom floor … in terms of amenity spaces that are for the community and not banks.”
Likely commercial tenants include a coffee shop, yoga studio, and a small restaurant, according to the developer. However, despite Coun. Rod Clark’s inquiries, the project will not include a commercial daycare.
Clark said he’s planning to present a motion in 2017 that will encourage developers to provide daycare in family-oriented buildings.
“We’re always ballyhooing about having three-bedroom units so that small families can be accommodated. Well, let’s have daycare in that building, and then they’ll be doubly happy.”
While council was unanimous in supporting the apartment project, there was one dissenting vote in their approval of the East Third Street real estate office.
Citing “traffic challenges,” Coun. Pam Bookham declined to support putting the office on the city-owned lot on Queensbury Avenue.
The office would serve as a sales centre for the development at the 700 block of East Third Street – which is currently awaiting approval – for a maximum of three years.
After the term is up, the lot would revert back to the city.
Clark considered making his approval contingent on the quick demolition of “abandoned, dilapidated” houses in Moodyville but was encouraged to find the wrecking ball was slated to swing early in 2017.
“As a resident of Moodyville the place is becoming quite an eyesore,” he said, explaining there have been problems with rodents and fires in the area.
The temporary real estate office was approved 6-1 with Bookham opposed.
