Another significant new housing complex was given the go-ahead by Campbell River city council this week.
A strata complex of 22 new patio homes – 44 housing units in total – have been approved in concept for a lot near the intersection of Willis Road and the Inland Island Highway at 200 Nikola Road.
The complex, being branded as Woodland Terrace, is a Westshore Development Corp. project, and Mayor Andy Adams says although the property “had had many iterations put before this council,” the current proposal, “looks really good and we look forward to moving through the process on it.”
The only concerns raised over the project was by Coun. Charlie Cornfield, who wanted to know what protections the nearby fish-supporting streams would have in place should it be approved, and Coun. Colleen Evans, who wanted to see more detail in future plans surrounding recycling and waste removal.
“There’s a security deposit f0r environmental protection issues, but it’s only $5,500,” Cornfield says. “If environmental damage occurs, we only get $5,500 to fix it?”
But development planning supervisor Andy Gaylor says that security deposit is to have silt fencing, erosion sediment control and environmental monitoring on-site during the construction phase of the access road to the site. Other issues that could arise that would require additional environmental protections would be decided during the building permitting stage, and this review was simply to decide if the concept for the complex met the city’s form and character requirements and zoning policies.
But Cornfield wanted to know about the impact of the new complex on the watershed long-term, as well.
“Obviously, through the building permit and subdivisioning process, we would require stormwater management plans with an eye to ensure there will be no downstream impacts to Nunns Creek,” Gaylor says, “but that’s not something we review – or have the ability to review – at this phase of the process.”
In regards to recycling and waste collection, Evans says, she would like to have more detail provided in future reports surrounding large multi-unit projects like this.
“I like the walkability of this and I like the intent of the connectivity of the proposal, but from what I could see in the report, it didn’t seem like there was a lot of area dedicated to recylcing,” Evans says. “And is this going to be private pick-up or how is that going to be done?”
Gaylor says that appropriate levels of waste and recycling collection is always considered by city staff and they don’t see any issues with this development’s proposed solutions, but they will try to make those details more clear in future reports on future proposals.
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