Two North Vancouver housing projects offering below-market rents will be going for public vetting in the District of North Vancouver next week.
Public hearings are scheduled for Tuesday evening for a new six-storey Kiwanis seniors’ apartment in Lynn Valley as well as a five storey, entirely below-market rental building on the grounds at the former Delbrook Community Centre.
The district has selected non-profit Catalyst Community Developments Society to build 80 units and a seniors’ respite facility at 600 Queens Rd. – the parking lot of the former rec centre.
The 16 studios, 41 one-bedroom, 15 two-bedroom, and eight three-bedroom units would be rented out for $1,000 to $1,660 a month – about 20 per cent below the market average, according to Catalyst.
Under the agreement, Catalyst is putting up the construction costs for the building. The District will offer up the land plus the development cost charges, connections to utilities and provide ongoing property tax exemptions. In 2017, that was estimated by district staff to amount to $9 million in costs or foregone revenues.
Catalyst will also seek grant funding from BC Housing and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. to further reduce rents. Once the low-interest loan to fund construction is paid off in 35 years, the rents can be lowered or used to fund new affordable housing projects.
The rental units would be available to current district residents who also work in North Vancouver but cannot find suitable housing.
“There are lots of details to rezonings and (development permits) and OCP amendments but it’s always good to remember this is about the people and this project in particular is about keeping people living and working in the District of North Vancouver,” said Catalyst president Robert Brown, noting that may include seniors, teachers or people serving coffee. “That’s who we will be, hopefully, housing at this project if it receives approval.”
The project has the support of the Delbrook Community Association, albeit with some caveats.
“Our position has remained the same since we first saw the proposal. We are not against the development but we would like it changed. We feel that a five-storey building in our neighbourhood is not appropriate,” said Rene Gourley, association chairman. “There is no ability to transition from that five-storey building to the adjacent two-storey homes.”
The community association was also disappointed at the mix of units, Gourley said, noting the project doesn’t have enough family-oriented two- and three-bedroom suites. And, Gourley added, district hasn’t shown any initiative in converting the rest of the Delbrook lands to greenspace.
Meanwhile, the Kiwanis project would add a six-storey apartment building immediately south of the existing Kiwanis Lynn Manor on Whiteley Court, accommodating 106 new rental units for senior citizens at 25 per cent below market rates.
“It’s been 45 years since we were last here to ask council for approval for a project,” said Kiwanis president Patrick McLaughlin. “My only regret today is to say we wish it could move forward sooner but it has taken us a long time to save the money to afford to start construction.”
Demand for seniors housing has only grown, McLaughlin noted, partly because of our aging population but also from the redevelopment of older housing in the community.
If approved, the district would waive the normal development cost charges, which McLaughlin said would be needed to make the project viable.
Both projects received a largely warm reception from council when they came up for their first votes on June 25, passing first reading by a vote of 7-1. The lone dissenter was Coun. Lisa Muri who stated, on principle, the district should not be holding public hearings in the summer months when residents may be away on vacation.
