A seniors housing project in Port Hardy continues to build steam and move forward in a positive direction.
After council agreed on June 9 to write a letter of support for the North Island Seniors Housing Foundation that will be attached to its funding application to BC Housing, a staff report regarding the housing project, written by Heather Nelson-Smith, Director of Corporate Services for Port Hardy, was then up for review at their July 14 meeting.
“The district has conducted a public hearing with respect to bylaw 1113-2020 to rezone 9300 Trustee Road to Multiple Family Residential (High Density),” Nelson-Smith noted in her report. “Following the public hearing it was brought to the authors attention that there is a potential opportunity for the Port Hardy Seniors Citizens Society to occupy a space within the development. Plans submitted to the District included a kitchen, multipurpose room, admin offices and storage.”
According to the report, this prompted the designation of use to include:
(4) Indoor amenity space shall not exceed 15.0 square metres per Apartment Dwelling and Attached Dwelling and shall be used exclusively by the residents offices and storage. This would allow the development to have amenity space no greater than 780 square metres or 8,390 square feet based on 52 dwelling units.
“The issue with the above regulation is that it prohibits the use of assembly space or space dedicated to another party not associated with the residents and/or the administration of the facility,” stated Nelson-Smith. “The North Island Seniors Housing Foundation has expressed that they would like to open opportunities to allow nonprofit/government groups to have dedicated leased space in the facility in the future such as the Hardy Bay Seniors Society or the provision to provide community baths.”
Nelson-Smith’s report included six different options for council to choose from:
Option one
Continue with the zoning of 9300 Trustee Road under Bylaw No. 1113-2020 as is and dedicate the area as strictly residential.
Option two
Continue with the zoning of 9300 Trustee Road under Bylaw No. 1113-2020 as is and should there be a need to add nonresidential use, the North Island Seniors Housing Foundation may make an application to the District for a zoning amendment when they are the leaseholder and when the specifics of that use are confirmed.
Option three
Amend Zoning Regulation Bylaw No. 1113-2020 as follows:
(4) Indoor amenity space shall not exceed 15.0 square metres per Apartment Dwelling and Attached Dwelling and shall be used by the residents and administration of the facility. This includes kitchens, multipurpose rooms, offices and storage. Up to a maximum of [pick a percentage] % of the total space may be used/leased for use by nonprofit/government organizations where their clientele resides in the residence but allows members of the community to gain access to the services provided. Spaces leased/used by nonprofit/government organizations must adhere to the assembly regulation for parking requirements for the property.
Option four
Amend Zoning Regulation Bylaw No. 1113-2020 as follows:
(4) Indoor amenity space shall not exceed 15.0 square metres per Apartment D g and Attached Dwelling. This includes kitchens, multipurpose rooms, offices, and storage. Spaces used by other organizations must adhere to the assembly regulation for parking requirements for the property.
Option five
Change the zoning entirely to allow for assembly use as part of the MultiFamily 2-Multiple Family Residential (High Density) as an accessory use.
Option six
Create a new zone which limits all activities to this specific site.
Nelson-Smith and Chief Administrative Officer Allison McCarrick recommended that council proceed with option two.
Coun. Leightan Wishart made the motion to go with option two, Coun. John Tidbury seconded it, and it was approved by council.
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