Paradise council rejects multi units after neighbours’ opposition

By Mark Squibb

Paradise council has voted against a development amendment that would have allowed for the construction of a residential complex catering to senior citizens.
Councillor Deborah Quilty explained that Index Investments Inc., had requested to amend the Town’s development regulations by changing the zoning of 9 Spracklin Boulevard from Residential Low Density to Residential Medium Density to enable the development of a cluster of 16 one-storey units for seniors.
Public notices were published in The Shoreline in May and on the town’s website, and letters issued to over 160 neighbours.

“The proposed re-zoning of the discretionary use application has received considerable feedback from the community, with 17 e-mails and a petition signed by 69 individuals, predominately opposed to the amendment,” said Quilty. “However, the Town has also received an e-mail highlighting the lack of dwellings for seniors in Paradise.”

Quilty said that, in summary, the concerns ranged the environmental impact, to preservation of the neighbourhood’s character, to potential traffic increases, effects on the adjacent playground, a lack of green space, the lack of assurance the dwellings would remain seniors’ residencies, a negative impact on property values, light and noise pollution, insufficient parking, possible deviations from the proposed development after rezoning, and more.

Quilty said that although the amendment is aligned with the Town’s strategic plan, along with other Town policies, in that it offers diverse housing options, the recommendation of the planning committee was to refuse the amendment due to the large number of residents in opposition to it.

“There’s been a lot of resident feedback on this particular item, and I think the memo does a great job of outlining the concerns of residents, and I agree with many of those concerns,” said councillor Larry Vaters. “What is, I think particularly poignant for me, is the repeated calls for more green space … Residents are telling us that they want more community parks and open spaces within their subdivisions.”

Deputy Mayor Kimberley Street said she would like to see a development like the one proposed but in an area for which it is already zoned.

She added that based on the considerable response from neighbourhood residents, she was not in favour of the amendment.

Street recalled that a few years back a resident on the same road had applied to build an ‘in-law suite’ on their property, and council had refused the application.

“It (the in-law suite) wasn’t supported due to the zoning, and I would like to continue that on that particular road and not support zoning changes,” said Street.

Councillor Glen Carew said there were a number of variables to take into consideration. He noted one concern in particular; that while the proposed development was being presented as a senior’s housing project, there is nothing in the Town’s policy that would hold the developer accountable to keeping it that way.

Councillor Patrick Martin too expressed his opposition to the development.

‘We definitely need seniors housing, 100 per cent,” said Martin. “I fully support it — just not in this area.”