The wheels are in motion to approve a 70-unit mobile home park in Kitimat.
Leonard Kerkhoff of Kerkhoff Construction, which is behind the development of a number of properties in Kitimat, presented the plan to Kitimat Council on November 16.
The plan would adjoin the existing proposal for a townhouse complex called Riverbrook Estates which will be in an area behind Nadina and Liard Streets.
Council has so far accepted the application for review and it is also going to the Advisory Planning Commission for review.
While any ultimate approvals lay in the future, Councillor Larry Walker did indicate his concern over traffic that would be generated in such a facility.
He said using an average of 1.5 cars per household there would be 100 vehicles coming and going from the site each day, on top of the traffic from the Riverbrook development. All traffic would go through Nadina and Liard Streets.
“I don’t think I’d want to live on either one of those streets because it will become a zoo,” said Walker.
But Kerkhoff said he’s had the traffic carefully analyzed by a professional firm who say traffic will be very manageable with everything developed.
“They say that all these roads are more than adequate,” he said. “That’s their professional opinion…I rely on them.”
The final details of the plan could also change, given a suggestion from Mayor Phil Germuth to include long-term recreational vehicle parking as part of the site design.
Kerkhoff said it was a suggestion he could take back to the project’s partners.
Another lingering question for the proposal is the land structure, as in will it be stratified or rental pads.
Kerkhoff said the current leaning is to have it as strata but nothing was settled on that.
Building the trailer park would require the removal of a no-build flood covenant on the site as well, due to its proximity to the dyke.
Even with that removed a covenant would still be needed to build trailer sites elevated from the ground in defence of potential flooding in that area.
The Ministry of Environment would also have to approve the removal of any flood covenant on the site.
The proposal also received the endorsement of Paul Lagace of the Kitimat Housing Resource.
“If there are strata lots as part of the amendment it could provide some security for other folks at the other two existing trailer parks if they wanted to transport,” he said.
