Proposed 152-unit, 3-building apartment complex in Mission goes forward to public hearing

A development application to construct a large, three-building apartment complex will go forward to a public hearing, Mission council decided on Feb. 16.

The combined 3.5 acres of property, consisting of one six-storey, five-storey, and three-storey building would be located on the 33000 block of 10th Avenue and the 7700 block of Stave Lake Street. If approved, they would add 152 units to the community’s rental stock.

The development would require rezoning for each of the buildings, and staff support the amendments pending the public hearing on March 22. The councillors largely chose to hold off on comments until the hearing, with several mentioning they anticipate a large reaction from the public.

“It’s a very awkward lot,” said Acting Mayor Danny Plecas, being the only council member who spoke at length. “We’re going from single-family homes through to a six storey building in the same neighborhood, and I think that we’ve never had that conversation.”

The developer is committed to constructing all-rental buildings, and will be offering 10 per cent of the units (16 apartments) at affordable rates in exchange for more density, according to the staff report. The proposal also agrees to keeping the units in the rental market for 25 years and restricting rent increases on the below-market units.

These affordable units would all be one-bedroom apartments on the lower floors, and will be offered at three levels based on income.

Plecas mentioned the small size of the affordable units, and asked if the developers would consider below-market rates in any two or three bedroom apartments.

“We need family units badly in this community,” he said.

The price estimates for the market-rental units are: One bedroom apartments for $1,200 to $1,250 per month, two bedrooms for $1,500 to $1,600 per month, and three bedrooms for 2,200 to 2,600 per month.

The buildings would feature individual storage lockers and enclosed hobby rooms within the underground parkades, private patios on the first-floor units and large balconies on the upper floors, as well as outdoor-activity areas with children’s play areas, garden plots, picnic tables and a BBQ. A courtyard between two buildings would have a fire pit, chairs, deck and table tennis set up.

The site is bordered by single-family homes to the east and north, and two schools to the west. The buildings access points would be by Stave Lake Street via 9th Avenue and Hattori Terrace (a new street).

Plecas also mentioned traffic and building-access concerns, and, along with Coun. Mark Davies, concerns over the arborist report from 2018, stating all 82 trees were removed due to poor health. Both said they’d like to review the report.

“They said all the trees on that lot were dead, and that seems kind of odd,” Davies said.