A multi-family condominium development project moved one step closer to rising near Millstone River.
Nanaimo councillors voted 7-1 in favour of issuing a development permit for Riverstone Place, a proposed six-storey, 90-unit condominium development project located at 20 Barsby Ave. Should Riverstone Place come to fruition, it would feature nine unit types ranging from 570-900 square feet, a gazebo, underground parking and a recreation area.
Councillors were required to vote on issuing a development permit because Riverstone Place’s owners, Platinum Properties Group Corporation, requested numerous variances, including increasing the building height by 5.6 metres, reducing the number of required parking spaces by five as well as reducing various yard and water course setbacks.
Council previously approved a development permit for a proposed 58-unit condo development on the same site. That permit was issued to a different ownership group and expired in 2017.
During Monday’s meeting, Dale Lindsay, the city’s director of community development, called the location of the proposed development “challenging.”
“This is a previously disturbed site, there has been activity on this site for many years,” he said, adding that the current application is a revision from the previous permit issued in 2015.
Coun. Jerry Hong, who voted against issuing a permit, said he wasn’t aware that the owners were asking to build 90 units, adding that his biggest concern is about the lack of parking.
“On-street parking is going to be very limited and since these are going to be condos, you’re going to have guests coming. 90 units, I am going to assume they’re going to have guests and you are going to have no parking for them, very limited street parking if anything,” he said.
Speaking to the News Bulletin afterward, Hong said because the building is slated to become a condo and not a rental-only apartment, there will likely be more tenants who have a vehicle or multiple vehicles, adding that if the developers included micro units in their plans, he would have been more supportive of the project.
“I would have been fine with that,” Hong said. “Had they reduced the number that they needed for parking or put 10 micro units for affordability, I think I would have been OK with it. But not doing anything and stacking more units on there, I couldn’t really support it.”
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