A developer is hoping a 20-unit proposal in the Brow of the Hill neighourhood will get a better response than a previous proposal.
Staff presented council with a preliminary report about a proposed rezoning of 1015, 1020 and 1022 Fourth Ave. The report included a recommendation to direct staff to request the applicant to pursue further public consultation on the revised proposal.
Bev Grieve, acting director of development services, said the proponent came to staff a few weeks ago and wanted to see if there was an appetite for a revised project before going to the community with the proposal.
A staff report noted that the city received an application in 2011 to consolidate the three properties and rezone them into five lots and allow a triplex on each of the new lots, a process that led the developer to conclude there may be a "more acceptable" form of development on the property.
The new concept being reviewed by the city proposes five lots with a duplex on each lot, with each duplex having an additional rental suite.
All totaled, each lot would have four units and the project would have 15 parking spaces.
Jim Hurst, a development planner with the city, said the applicant has considered a range of development proposals for the sites, including an apartment and single-family homes with suites.
Because of city council's interest in supporting the creation of new rental housing, he said the applicant thought he would bring forward a proposal at this time.
Coun. Betty McIntosh said she has "great difficulty" with the provision of only three spaces for each four-unit building as it isn't close to SkyTrain.
"We are not going to get more than three parking spaces per lot," Hurst said about site limitations.
Council supported the staff recommendation to direct the applicant to pursue further public consultation on the revised proposal.
McIntosh voted against the recommendation.
"I didn't think it was something that should have gone to the public," she said. "This development should have been told you have to live within the zoning."
