The construction of the complex being built at 850 Dogwood Street that is expected to cause traffic delays in the area. Image from City of Campbell River staff report

Campbell River drivers should expect upcoming traffic delays on Dogwood between 8th and 9th

Construction on 79-unit housing complex at 850 Dogwood will lower speed limit to 30 km/hr

One of the busiest traffic areas in town is about to get a bit more congested for a while.

Construction is set to begin on a new 79-unit apartment complex at 850 Dogwood Street, and the city says the work is expected to cause traffic delays in the area.

From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., drivers can expect temporary lane closures on Dogwood Street between 8th and 9th avenues. The speed limit in the area will also be lowered to 30 km/hr while the work is underway.

Work on the site is expected to be complete in December.

The 79-unit housing complex was approved by city council late last summer, touted as another move towards increasing the affordable housing stock in the community. There were some in the community – even around council chambers – who questioned just how “affordable” the units will really be.

Council placed an “Affordability Covenant” on the property when the development was approved, meaning the units will need to remain rental properties for at least 10 years, with rental rates set according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s guidelines for affordability.

So in order for someone to be considered an “eligible occupant” of the building, their annual household annual income can be no greater than $112,410 for a suite with less than two bedrooms. That limit rises to $155,510 for a unit with two or more bedrooms.

Council has committed to advocating for the province to review those levels.

“Those are set with the province, and we have advocated for them to break that up by geographical area, because Greater Vancouver, Kelowna and Victoria are not the same as Revelstoke or Fort St. John or Campbell River,” Adams said at the time, adding that they would continue to push for changes to those numbers that better reflect the reality of the economic situation in the community.

RELATED: Questioning the definition of “Affordable Housing”


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