New Westminster city council wants to hear what the community has to say about a proposed highrise in Sapperton.
Wesgroup is proposing changes to its future development at 100 Braid St., where it had planned to build a strata highrise. In exchange for changing that to market rental housing, and possibly providing some units at “less-than-market rates” if it receives funding through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, it will increase the residential density on the site, increase the maximum building height from 65 metres (213.25 feet) to 118 metres (390.42 feet) and decrease the off-street parking requirements.
A streamlined application review process approved by council will include an interdepartmental review with the project team and other city departments, applicant-led stakeholder engagement , presentation of the rezoning and development permit applications to the New Westminster design panel, city-led consultation and a public hearing.
In July, council received a report about the application for a zoning bylaw text amendment and a development permit for the project, which would include secured market rental housing and an art gallery/studio space. At that time, council members expressed concern that they didn’t have clarity around a number of issues, including the number of units that would be provided at “less-than-market” rates and the rents for those units.
A follow-up staff report to council said Wesgroup has indicated 96 out of the 424 units in the building would be “affordable” units, with rents being 70% of the “household median income” for 10 years, at which time they would then revert to secured market rental.
“With all due respect, I really don’t see much change here,” said Coun. Chuck Puchmayr. “It was very ambiguous last time, and it still is.”
Puchmayr expressed concern about what the city stands to gain in exchange for the density and height being proposed. (Instead of a 21-storey highrise, the changes would allow Wesgroup to build a 35-storey tower on the site located near Braid and Brunette.)
“There’s really no social housing component here. It sort of hints that it has some social housing component but it doesn’t,” he said. “I think, personally, if we are going to give that type of a variance of height in a neighbourhood that interfaces so closely with an existing neighbourhood, there is really nothing in it here for me.”
Other council members, however, supported a recommendation directing staff to process the zoning bylaw text amendment application and the development permit as per a streamlined process, so the applicant can meet CMHC deadlines to apply for rental construction financing. They want to hear what community members and other stakeholders have to say about the project.
Coun. Patrick Johnstone said he’s viewing the proposal as a market rental building, not a social housing building. He said the applicant is proposing to build some “less-than-market” priced housing if it gets support from CMHC, but he’s not putting a lot of weight in that happening.
“I am happy to see it go through public review to hear how the community responds to it,” he said. “I encourage Wesgroup and planning staff to take a serious look at what the balance here is between what they are providing us and what they are going to get with additional density.”
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said he will be evaluating the proposal as a market rental project, not an affordable housing project. While market rental is important, he said it’s also important to recognize how unaffordable rents are in Greater Vancouver compared to people’s incomes and rents in other cities.
“When I am seeing terminology like ‘close-to-market’ I actually feel like that is undermining the affordable housing agenda. Because it is suggesting that that is good enough, that that is OK, that that is what we need to accomplish to address the housing issue,” he said. “I don’t think ‘close-to-market’ does very much to address the affordable housing issue.”
Mayor Jonathan Cote questioned if the city has any leverage on asking the developer to extend the 10 year timeline for the retention of the less-than-market rate units.
“The case has been made to us that there is a marginal business case and that if all the points don’t align they will go back to building strata building,” said Emilie Adin, the city’s director of development services. “It certainly doesn’t hurt for us to speak to them on that account. I am sure they … will be working with us to either alleviate those concerns or go back to the previous project.”
Council approved a motion directing staff to explore with the developer whether it would consider extending the below-market component from 10 years to 15 years.
“Ten years actually doesn’t seem like a very long time,” said Coun. Mary Trentadue.
