The fate of a development at 1909 Prosser Rd. is still unclear, after Central Saanich council decided on Tuesday to recess the public hearing for a week.
The public hearing will resume on Tuesday Aug. 7 at 7 p.m., so council can continue to receive information. In particular, the delay was to allow Central Saanich staff to ask School District 63 and BC Transit if they had concerns about how the 90 extra housing units would impact use of their services. The project is comprised of two buildings: a four-storey, 50-unit market rental building and a five-storey, 40-unit affordable housing building.
At the start of the public hearing on July 31, Central Saanich first heard from the proponents, Matt Peulen of Stride Properties and Kaye Melliship of the Greater Victoria Housing Society (GVHS). Stride and the GVHS have partnered on a previous development, by moving and renovating the heritage Verdier House and building 40 units of affordable housing on the lot. Peulen said there was very little land left for development within the Urban Containment Boundary, which is meant to limit urban sprawl.
Melliship said the goal of the Prosser Road development was to provide shared community space and affordable housing for seniors, working adults and families. She noted of the 341 purpose-built rentals in Central Saanich, almost 300 were built in the 1960s and 70s, with few built afterwards. It was designed to me a mixed income building from low to medium income. As an example, said the average rent for a one-bedroom suite in the complex would range from $850-950, with a household income limit (HILS) of $37,000, and a three-bedroom suite suitable for families would range from $1,275-1,700, with a household income limit of $69,000.
Most speakers were against the proposal, citing multiple concerns. Neighbours felt the development was too tall to mesh with the existing neighbourhood and were concerned about the precedent this would set when considering similar developments. Some were not convinced that transportation demand management (TDM) studies were reflective of reality, saying they received similar assurances when a townhouse complex was proposed, only to have vehicles overwhelm on-street parking after it was built. One speaker said the proposal to introduce car sharing would not solve the problem, and proponents had their “heads in the clouds and spouting all these figures and it’s not right and it’s not fair.”
Still others felt the development should wait until after a comprehensive review of Central Saanich’s Official Community Plan, which is scheduled to start in 2019.
Speakers who did favour the proposal said income-tested housing and dedicated rentals were rare and important for young people who have lower incomes in their first jobs out of school. Another said there was a lack of young people in the area generally and felt the development would attract them (60–64-year olds are the largest age cohort in Central Saanich), with 43 per cent over the age of 55. Others were pleased with its location near a bus route, which would reduce car dependency. Supporters said the Peninsula spent many years building single-family homes, leaving almost no space for developments of this type.
One speaker in favour said “I don’t think we can afford to wait much longer and drive more young people…[and] seniors out of our community, which has been happening for decades in Central Saanich.”
The public hearing will resume at Central Saanich Municipal Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.
