Ucluelet council will host a special Committee of the Whole meeting for the proposed housing development on Lot 16 Marine Drive on August 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Ucluelet Community Centre’s main hall.
Residents can attend in-person or via Zoom. Comments or questions can be submitted in writing before the meeting via communityinput@ucluelet.ca.
The proposal submitted by Macdonald Gray on behalf of Nored Developments involves a mix of housing, including: a 48-unit rental apartment building, six single family lots, 30 smaller single family lots and 28 townhouse units.
A virtual public hearing for Lot 16 Marine Drive took place on June 8, 2021. About 32 participants attended via Zoom and there were about 20 YouTube viewers. During the July 13 regular council meeting, council voted to host a special Aug. 10 Committee of the Whole meeting to allow the applicant to address lingering concerns and questions.
Mayor Mayco Noel is excused from the discussion on Lot 16 Marine Drive because he lives in the vicinity of the development proposal.
A decision about the proposal will not be made at the Aug. 10 meeting. Lot 16 is currently zoned for commercial resort condos. The applicant is requesting to rezone the property to enable the development of a mix of family residential lots, a rental apartment and townhouses.
Construction of the rental apartment building is confirmed as a requirement to be in the first phase of the development. The applicant is proposing a four-storey, 48-unit Multiple Family Residential apartment building for rental tenancy only. Affordable housing is not proposed as part of the application.
Should the application proceed, Ucluelet would need to acquire an aerial apparatus to accommodate the height of the new building, according the Fire Chief Rick Geddes. The current firehall, says Geddes, is not large enough for an aerial apparatus. A three-storey apartment building could be a possibility that would be determined through a future Development Permit application, notes the developer.
According to district staff, the off-site water and sewer upgrades required to service the proposed Lot 16 development are estimated at about $938,000. The new infrastructure (new water line or larger sewer pipes) would be constructed by and paid for by the developer.
In 2019, the District of Ucluelet conducted a water system review for the proposed Lot 16 development at Marine Drive and Matterson Drive. The projected population of the development was estimated to be 302 citizens, and Koers & Associates Engineering Ltd. concluded that the proposed development would have minor hydraulic impacts on Ucluelet’s water distribution, especially during peak hours.
Details and concept plans for the proposed development called ‘The Lookout’ above Big Beach can be viewed on the District of Ucluelet website.
nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca
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