New provincial housing legislation has started to impact development in Nanaimo, as re-zoning for a 127-unit apartment complex on Nicol Street is moving forward without a public hearing.
At a meeting Monday, April 22, city council passed third reading of a zoning amendment bylaw for five properties at the corner of Nicol and Needham streets.
Urban Solutions Architecture Ltd., on behalf of Nicol Street Residential Holdings, is proposing a six-storey wood-frame building overtop of two levels of parking. The 127 apartments will be a mix of configurations from one to three bedrooms, and there will be nine live-work units fronting Nicol Street.
Jeremy Holm, the city’s director of planning and development, said the application is the first one to come before council that is impacted by new provincial legislation prohibiting public hearings for residential projects that are consistent with the official community plan.
“The proposed zoning will align land uses more closely with [the] city plan than under the current zoning by prioritizing residential use over mixed use…” noted a staff report. “Overall, the re-zoning is supported by [the] city plan as it will enable more housing along a corridor in proximity to amenities and services.”
A public information session was held last year, and the applicant indicated that the majority of people who provided feedback were supportive of seeing market rental housing coming to that neighbourhood.
The project will include a rooftop garden and a public plaza extending to the southwest and southeast corners of the development. All vehicle access to the 144 parking spaces will be via a lane behind the building.
To make the project possible, the city will be selling the developer a 1.5-metre-wide strip of land at 545 Nicol St. for $25,000.
“The portion of that property that the city’s being asked to sell isn’t even a laneway, it’s more of a pathway in terms of its width,” said Mayor Leonard Krog.
READ ALSO: Nanaimo council says housing legislation undermines local decision-making
READ ALSO: Nanaimo will be asked to meet provincial housing targets