The new multi-unit residential development would be located on 11 lots where the Native Friendship Centre site currently is.
Tanya Turner, the Director of Development Services, went over a few of the details at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting…
“Between the existing Friendship Centre and the daycare center building there is currently a vacant portion of land that is used for parking.  The Quesnel Tillicum Society is intending on constructing a new 5-storey, 34-unit apartment building where this parking area is located.  The units are to be geared towards low income individuals.”
Turner noted that the site is located in a flood plain, something that has been taken into consideration…
“As you will notice in the plan, there is no livable spaces on the ground floor, it is all parking.  So they’ve actually raised the building level and the living level.  All of the mechanics etc, will have to be above the flood plain.”
Turner said that a zoning amendment is required to permit apartment use on the property, which is currently zoned C-2A (North Fraser Drive Local Commercial) and P-1 (Institutional) on portions on the lot.
“Due to the proposed density, variety of uses on the property and the need to share parking between the uses, it was recommended that the property be rezoned to CD zone, which would give the developer a degree of flexibility when it came to the site’s design.”
Turner said they currently don’t have Comprehensive Development zones in the community.
She also said that a zoning amendment is just the first step in the review/approval process.
“A Development Permit, Building Permit, and servicing agreement will also be required through this development approval process.”
Turner says this five-storey development would be the highest apartment in the City outside of the downtown core.
Council has directed staff to draft a zoning bylaw amendment creating a new comprehensive development zone to bring back to Council for further review.
There is also other potential development in this area.
Council also gave the first reading to a zoning and Official Community Plan amendment on Tuesday night for the Nazko First Nation to build two fourplexes and a duplex in behind where the River Rock Pub currently is on Hoy Street.