A development project that will include almost 300 townhouses, and connect two stretches of Marshall Road in east Abbotsford, received third reading at council last month.
The proposal, previously discussed by council late last year, was originally set to include 370 townhouse units and 30 single-family lots at Marshall Road and Canterbury Avenue. The project would also lead to the connection of Marshall Road through the development, between Old Yale and Whatcom roads.
At a public hearing in December, neighbouring residents expressed concerns about the high density of the proposal, saying they knew the area would be developed, but thought it would be single-family homes. Council later deferred third reading and sent the issue back to staff to work with the applicant on lowering the density. Some councillors expressed concern that the high density was needed to cover the developer’s cost of building the road.
The developer resubmitted a plan with a total of 293 townhouse units, but the city report indicates that there could be a further reduction in density due to possible site constraints.
The site was rezoned to allow for a maximum of 295 townhouses and 30 single-family residential lots.
Council also chose to increase the rebate amount for developing Marshall Road, from $513,900 to $1.2 million.
The total estimated costs of the road, the rest of which will be paid for by the developer, is estimated to be between $4.3 and $6.5 million.
